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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wake — a trail
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. race — a contest
  8. club — for dancing
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — letters
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. club — for golf
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — a face
  17. spell — magic
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. club — a group

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