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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. band — a music group
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. deal — to handle
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bore — to drill
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. shower — to wash
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. band — a ring
  22. toast — bread
  23. bore — to tire
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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