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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. march — music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. tube — the underground
  5. march — the month
  6. tear — from crying
  7. perch — the fish
  8. suit — in cards
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. suit — to fit
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. key — in music
  17. tube — a container
  18. suit — clothes
  19. tear — from crying
  20. shower — to wash
  21. tear — to rip
  22. key — the most important part
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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