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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. band — a ring
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. dip — to sink
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — rain
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cold — not warm
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. can — to be able to
  14. band — a music group
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. shower — to wash
  22. object — an aim
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cold — an illness

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