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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pop — to visit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. race — humankind
  9. wind — moving air
  10. shower — to wash
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pop — soda
  17. saw — the tool
  18. shower — rain
  19. pop — music
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wind — moving air
  22. root — the cause
  23. race — a contest
  24. root — of a word

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