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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. drill — army training
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. net — for catching
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bore — to tire
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. net — in sport
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. present — there
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. present — the time now
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. net — after costs
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bore — to drill
  24. present — a gift

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