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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. row — a line
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. roll — a list
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ball — a great time
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. shower — to wash
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. row — to paddle
  16. shower — rain
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ball — a dance
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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