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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. row — to paddle
  5. game — a match
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rush — hurry
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. row — a line
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. drill — army training
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. game — wild animals
  20. drill — a practice
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. leaves — of a tree

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