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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. row — to paddle
  7. present — a gift
  8. charge — a price
  9. shower — rain
  10. present — the time now
  11. row — a line
  12. band — a ring
  13. shower — to wash
  14. tear — from crying
  15. charge — in control
  16. band — a music group
  17. present — there
  18. charge — electricity
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tear — to rip
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. tear — from crying
  24. hide — to keep secret

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