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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pop — music
  5. track — to keep track
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — the month
  10. shower — to wash
  11. march — music
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. track — a song
  14. pop — soda
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — to visit
  18. march — the month
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wake — a trail
  21. track — a path
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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