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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. shower — rain
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lean — thin
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rash — hasty
  16. face — to confront
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. shower — to wash
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lean — to bend

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