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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. firm — steady
  4. pop — to visit
  5. race — the arms race
  6. shower — to wash
  7. race — humankind
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pop — music
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. shower — rain
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pop — soda
  14. firm — decided
  15. drill — the tool
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. drill — a practice
  18. race — a contest
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. drill — army training
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. trunk — of a car

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