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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. shower — rain
  6. ground — the earth
  7. march — music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. march — the month
  12. ground — crushed
  13. band — a ring
  14. march — the month
  15. bound — certain
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. toast — bread
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ground — a position
  22. band — a music group
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bound — tied together

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