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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. rash — hasty
  3. band — a ring
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. scale — in music
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. race — humankind
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. race — a contest
  20. band — a music group
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — to come from
  23. shower — to wash
  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