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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pop — to visit
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pop — soda
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. can — to be able to
  13. band — a ring
  14. shower — rain
  15. pop — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. band — a music group
  20. deal — to handle
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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