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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. scale — in music
  3. shower — rain
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. suit — in cards
  12. scale — size or range
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. suit — to fit
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. last — to go on
  23. suit — clothes
  24. branch — a division

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