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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. roll — a list
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. march — the month
  5. mug — to rob
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. capital — money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. craft — a skill
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. craft — boats
  13. mug — a cup
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bulb — for light
  16. roll — a cake
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. shower — to wash
  21. capital — a city
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mug — a face
  24. capital — a big letter

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