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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 116 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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. key — for a lock
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rule — government
  13. ball — a dance
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. key — the most important part
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rule — a law
  19. key — in music
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. shower — rain
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. dip — to dunk

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