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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. saw — the tool
  5. last — finally
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. kid — child
  8. shower — rain
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pop — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. shower — to wash
  16. last — final
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bank — for money
  21. kid — to tease
  22. last — to go on
  23. pop — soda
  24. bank — for money

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