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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. tube — a container
  6. can — a tin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lean — thin
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bore — to tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rock — music
  22. bore — to drill
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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