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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: mug · mine · shower · toast · rock · leaves · lean · wake

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rock — music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lean — to bend
  7. toast — bread
  8. shower — to wash
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lean — thin
  11. rock — a stone
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. shower — rain
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mine — for digging
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wake — a trail

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