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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mate — a friend
  3. race — the arms race
  4. present — there
  5. shower — rain
  6. charge — a price
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. present — a gift
  10. race — humankind
  11. club — for golf
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. race — a contest
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. charge — in control
  17. club — for dancing
  18. charge — electricity
  19. club — a group
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. present — the time now
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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