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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cap — a hat
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cap — a lid
  15. shower — to wash
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ball — a great time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. plane — a tool

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