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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 124 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. track — a path
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. shower — to wash
  9. spring — of water
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. spring — the season
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mug — a face
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. ground — a position
  24. mug — a cup

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