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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. shower — rain
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bark — to shout
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. net — for catching
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ball — a dance
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — after costs
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. shower — to wash
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mate — to breed
  22. net — in sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. perch — the fish

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