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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. face — part of the head
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. drill — a practice
  14. season — of the year
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. season — in sport
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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