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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 120 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: key · shower · hide · mouse · coach · leaves · dip · row

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. shower — rain
  4. row — to paddle
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. key — in music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. dip — to sink
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. key — for a lock
  22. row — a line
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. hide — animal skin

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