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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: march · wave · track · scale · shower · mug · deal · lie

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. track — to keep track
  3. march — the month
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mug — a face
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. scale — in music
  16. deal — to handle
  17. scale — size or range
  18. shower — to wash
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mug — to rob
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mug — a cup
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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