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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. degree — from a university
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. degree — temperature
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pass — a permit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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