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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. race — the arms race
  6. shower — rain
  7. mate — a partner
  8. can — a tin
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. tear — from crying
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. race — humankind
  13. tear — to rip
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mate — a friend
  17. can — to be able to
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mate — to breed
  21. tear — from crying
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. kick — in football
  24. can — a tin

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