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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. foot — a measure
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. shower — rain
  11. current — electric
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. race — a contest
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. race — humankind
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. trunk — of a tree

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