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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. lie — to recline
  3. shower — rain
  4. snap — to click
  5. march — music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wake — a trail
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. season — in sport
  14. march — the month
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. season — of the year
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. march — the month

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