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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. race — a contest
  3. shower — to wash
  4. race — the arms race
  5. shower — rain
  6. race — humankind
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bank — for money
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. root — the cause
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rash — hasty
  15. band — a music group
  16. root — of a word
  17. branch — a division
  18. root — of a plant
  19. band — a ring
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rash — a series

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