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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. shower — rain
  4. band — a music group
  5. last — final
  6. shower — to wash
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — a lid
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fork — in a road
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cap — of ice
  16. band — a ring
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rock — music

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