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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 piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. shower — rain
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. shower — to wash
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — for catching
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. net — after costs
  14. race — the arms race
  15. key — the most important part
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. net — in sport
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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