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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rock — music
  9. march — the month
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cue — a signal
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mate — a friend
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. shower — rain
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com