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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 116 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. ground — the earth
  3. can — a tin
  4. ground — crushed
  5. shower — to wash
  6. race — humankind
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. race — a contest
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. can — to be able to
  16. race — the arms race
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ground — a position
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rush — hurry
  22. dip — to sink
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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