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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. track — a path
  3. face — part of the head
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. net — for catching
  8. bound — certain
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cue — for pool
  11. date — the fruit
  12. net — after costs
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. face — to point toward
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. net — in sport
  18. cue — a signal
  19. face — to confront
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bound — tied together
  22. track — to keep track
  23. shower — to wash
  24. track — a song

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