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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bound — certain
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. shower — to wash
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bound — obliged

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