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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stand — to bear
  7. march — music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. march — the month
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rule — government
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. march — the month

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