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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. race — a contest
  7. bark — to shout
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. shower — rain
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rush — hurry
  18. race — humankind
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. face — to confront
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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