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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 116 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: season · key · fall · saw · leaves · ball · present · shower

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. season — in sport
  3. present — a gift
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. present — the time now
  6. shower — rain
  7. fall — the season
  8. ball — a dance
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. ball — a great time
  12. key — for a lock
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fall — to drop
  20. saw — the tool
  21. present — there
  22. key — in music
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

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