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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. shower — rain
  3. pound — a weight
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. craft — boats
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mug — a cup
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. tube — the underground
  15. craft — a skill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mug — a face
  19. fine — all right
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mug — to rob

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