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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rest — what's left
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rest — a break
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a leader

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