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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — humankind
  8. fall — to drop
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. key — in music
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — rain
  17. march — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. shower — to wash
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fall — the season
  24. march — the month

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