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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. shower — to wash
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. race — humankind
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. race — a contest
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. race — the arms race
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — a series
  15. mug — a face
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. shower — rain
  18. rash — hasty
  19. kick — in football
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rash — on the 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