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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. date — the fruit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fan — a supporter

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