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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. shower — rain
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bass — the fish
  13. shower — to wash
  14. club — a group
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rush — hurry
  17. race — a contest
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rest — a break
  21. race — humankind
  22. club — for dancing
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — for golf

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