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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. present — the time now
  11. roll — a list
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mark — a grade
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. roll — a cake
  18. present — a gift
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. shower — rain
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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