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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. race — humankind
  3. shower — rain
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — steady
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — soda
  9. race — the arms race
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. firm — a company
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. shower — to wash
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. race — a contest
  18. firm — decided
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. pop — music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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