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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. march — music
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. band — a ring
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wake — a trail
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rush — hurry
  12. march — the month
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. band — a music group
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. march — the month
  21. shower — rain
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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