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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. saw — the tool
  5. shower — rain
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rule — government
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. tube — a container
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rule — a law

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