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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — a contest
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. race — humankind
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pound — a weight
  10. race — the arms race
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. shower — rain
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pound — for dogs

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