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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. object — to protest
  8. field — for sport
  9. object — a thing
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. field — farmland
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bear — the animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. object — an aim
  22. field — a subject
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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