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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. shower — rain
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. march — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. march — the month
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. march — the month
  9. swing — in golf
  10. race — humankind
  11. shower — to wash
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. charge — a price
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. swing — music
  17. charge — electricity
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. charge — in control
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. race — a contest
  23. date — the fruit
  24. branch — a division

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