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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 120 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. shower — to wash
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fine — all right
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rule — government
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. branch — a division
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rule — a law
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cap — a hat

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