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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. field — a subject
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. field — for sport
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — a break
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — to shout
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. last — final
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. field — farmland
  24. shower — rain

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