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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: mouse · bass · season · roll · race · bay · shower · leaves

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. race — a contest
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. roll — a list
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. race — humankind
  18. roll — a cake
  19. shower — rain
  20. race — the arms race
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mouse — the animal

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