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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: season · mug · roll · file · stick · shower · fork · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. file — a tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. roll — a cake
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. season — in sport
  11. file — a document
  12. mug — a face
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. shower — to wash
  16. roll — a list
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fork — in a road
  19. shower — rain
  20. mug — to rob
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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