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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. shower — rain
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. scale — in music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. scale — size or range
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bore — to tire
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. shower — to wash
  23. suit — in cards
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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