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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. shower — rain
  16. band — a ring
  17. bark — to shout
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. band — a music group
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. shower — to wash

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