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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. last — to go on
  4. shower — to wash
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. club — a group
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. last — finally
  18. shower — rain
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. club — for golf
  24. last — final

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