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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. shower — rain
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rock — music
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. shower — to wash
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pass — a permit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hand — help
  24. face — part of the head

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