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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. craft — a skill
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. shower — rain
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. shower — to wash
  20. craft — boats
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. land — to come down
  24. temple — side of the head

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