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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. kick — in football
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. race — a contest
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. branch — a division
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  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