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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. suit — to fit
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rest — a break
  5. bass — low music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cell — in biology
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. season — of the year
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cell — a phone
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mark — a trace
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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