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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. club — a group
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. club — for golf
  8. shower — to wash
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. face — to confront
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fall — the season
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fall — to drop
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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