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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. present — there
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. shower — rain
  8. rock — music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. shower — to wash
  11. dip — to sink
  12. spell — letters
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. present — the time now
  15. spell — magic
  16. saw — the tool
  17. present — a gift
  18. spell — a short time
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. saw — the tool
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rock — a stone
  24. trunk — of a car

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