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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. tube — a container
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pop — to visit
  11. tube — the underground
  12. branch — a division
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. scale — size or range
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — a list
  22. shower — to wash
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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