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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. roll — a list
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. swing — in golf
  5. row — to paddle
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wound — an injury
  10. swing — to play on
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — music
  14. row — a line
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wound — an injury
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. shower — rain
  24. roll — a cake

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