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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. content — the amount
  6. shower — to wash
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rush — hurry
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bound — certain
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — happy
  15. prune — to trim
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. bound — tied together
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. scale — in music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bound — obliged
  24. leaves — lets stay

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