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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. race — humankind
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rule — a law
  11. race — a contest
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. charge — in control
  14. rule — government
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. race — the arms race
  21. charge — a price
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wax — to grow

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