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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. toast — bread
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. deal — to handle
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. craft — boats
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. shower — to wash
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cap — of ice
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mate — to breed
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cap — a hat
  24. deal — a big deal

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