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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. shower — rain
  6. spring — of water
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. shower — to wash
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spring — the season
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. date — the fruit
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. scale — in music

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