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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. shower — to wash
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. shower — rain
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stock — goods
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stock — shares

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