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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. suit — clothes
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. row — to paddle
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mate — to breed
  12. suit — to fit
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. shower — rain
  15. suit — in cards
  16. mate — a partner
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. drill — army training
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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