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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · game · drill · shower · snap · bass · leaves · suit

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. suit — to fit
  3. game — a match
  4. rock — a stone
  5. shower — to wash
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. shower — rain
  10. suit — in cards
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bass — the fish
  17. snap — to click
  18. drill — army training
  19. bass — low music
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. drill — the tool
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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