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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pit — a hole
  4. net — in sport
  5. shower — to wash
  6. net — for catching
  7. staff — employees
  8. pit — in a race
  9. spring — of water
  10. suit — in cards
  11. staff — a stick
  12. shower — rain
  13. fall — to drop
  14. net — after costs
  15. suit — to fit
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. suit — clothes
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. spring — the season

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