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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. race — a contest
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. present — a gift
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. present — there
  12. shower — to wash
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a dance
  15. present — the time now
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. race — humankind
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. tear — to rip

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