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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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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. ball — a dance
  3. tear — from crying
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. race — humankind
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tear — from crying
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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