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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 116 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pop — soda
  5. mate — to breed
  6. craft — boats
  7. rule — government
  8. craft — a skill
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spring — the season
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. spring — of water
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pop — music
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. shower — rain
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pop — to visit

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