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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — to bear
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bound — certain
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. shower — to wash
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rock — music

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