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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: shower · lie · field · lean · rock · jam · mouse · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. field — for sport
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. field — farmland
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lean — to bend
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rock — music
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. field — a subject
  23. lean — thin
  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