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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. field — farmland
  5. suit — in cards
  6. toast — bread
  7. hand — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spell — magic
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. shower — to wash
  13. spell — a short time
  14. hand — help
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spell — letters
  17. field — for sport
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. suit — to fit
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. field — a subject
  24. toast — the most admired

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