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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. race — humankind
  4. land — a country
  5. race — the arms race
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. staff — employees
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rash — a series
  14. land — ground
  15. race — a contest
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. shower — rain
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — to come down
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rash — hasty

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