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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. march — the month
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wound — an injury
  7. root — the cause
  8. chest — a box
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bank — of a river
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. chest — of your body
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wax — to grow
  20. shower — to wash
  21. march — the month
  22. root — of a word
  23. wound — an injury
  24. march — music

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