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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mug — a cup
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mug — a face
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bark — to shout
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rest — a break

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