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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pit — a hole
  4. track — a path
  5. craft — boats
  6. land — ground
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. track — a song
  11. pit — in a race
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. shower — rain
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. land — to come down
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. track — to keep track
  22. race — humankind
  23. land — a country
  24. shower — to wash

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