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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pit — a hole
  5. race — humankind
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. race — a contest
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. band — a ring
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. key — in music
  19. shower — rain
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. snap — to click
  22. band — a music group
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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