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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. shower — rain
  3. root — of a word
  4. game — a match
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. race — the arms race
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. root — the cause
  9. pound — a weight
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mug — a face
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. root — of a plant
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. race — a contest
  19. mug — to rob
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. race — humankind
  24. shower — to wash

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