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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rule — government
  4. object — an aim
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pound — a weight
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rock — music
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rule — a law
  24. shower — rain

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