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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. object — to protest
  4. kid — to tease
  5. suit — to fit
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. spring — a coil
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. object — a thing
  12. shower — to wash
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. suit — in cards
  16. clip — to cut
  17. spring — of water
  18. object — an aim
  19. dip — to sink
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. spring — the season
  22. suit — clothes
  23. kid — child
  24. leaves — lets stay

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