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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 116 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. race — humankind
  3. snap — to click
  4. craft — boats
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. race — the arms race
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. face — part of the head
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. race — a contest
  24. shower — to wash

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