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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. present — the time now
  3. toast — bread
  4. shower — rain
  5. swing — in golf
  6. present — a gift
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. present — there
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. swing — music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. spell — magic
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. swing — to play on
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fine — high quality
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fine — all right

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