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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rash — a series
  9. firm — a company
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. swing — in golf
  14. firm — decided
  15. swing — music
  16. fine — all right
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fine — high quality
  21. shower — rain
  22. firm — steady
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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