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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bound — certain
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. shower — rain
  6. season — of the year
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — in sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rash — a series
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rash — hasty
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bound — tied together
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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