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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. club — for dancing
  8. race — a contest
  9. club — a group
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. race — the arms race
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rule — government
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. shower — rain
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rule — a law
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. race — humankind
  24. club — for golf

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