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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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stand — to bear
  3. spell — magic
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pop — music
  13. row — to paddle
  14. face — to confront
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. shower — rain
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. row — a line
  22. face — part of the head
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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