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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. shower — rain
  3. scale — in music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. file — a document
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. file — a tool
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — shares
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stock — goods
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mouse — the animal

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