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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · degree · suit · leaves · march · cell · mate · shower

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mate — to breed
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rush — hurry
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. shower — to wash
  11. march — the month
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cell — in biology
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mate — a friend
  16. shower — rain
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. degree — from a university
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. suit — to fit

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