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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cue — a hint
  4. craft — boats
  5. mate — a partner
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mate — to breed
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. field — a subject
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. field — farmland
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. craft — a skill
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cue — for pool
  21. field — for sport
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mate — a friend

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