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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fall — the season
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. prune — to trim
  11. craft — boats
  12. prune — to trim
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mark — a grade
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. shower — rain
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. season — in sport
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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