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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pound — a weight
  4. hand — help
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bank — for money
  14. tear — from crying
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. shower — rain
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. shower — to wash
  24. leaves — to go away

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