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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rash — hasty
  6. scale — in music
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rest — what's left
  12. race — humankind
  13. bore — to drill
  14. race — a contest
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rest — a break
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rash — a series
  22. rest — what's left
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. shower — rain

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