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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rest — what's left
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. game — wild animals
  13. shower — rain
  14. ground — crushed
  15. game — a match
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rest — a break
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. race — a contest
  24. shower — to wash

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