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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: bear · shower · season · cue · tear · bowl · march · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. season — in sport
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. march — the month
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. shower — rain
  11. march — music
  12. season — of the year
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. tear — from crying
  15. march — the month
  16. file — a tool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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