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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. last — finally
  3. pop — soda
  4. last — to go on
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pop — music
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. shower — rain
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fine — high quality
  11. shower — to wash
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. toast — bread
  14. race — a contest
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bat — the animal
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. last — final
  23. fine — all right
  24. toast — the most admired

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