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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wind — moving air
  7. season — of the year
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wind — moving air
  17. craft — boats
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. shower — to wash
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rock — music
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. season — in sport

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