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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 trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. temple — side of the head
  3. race — the arms race
  4. last — final
  5. spring — of water
  6. shower — rain
  7. charge — in control
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. charge — a price
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. race — humankind
  19. spring — the season
  20. charge — electricity
  21. spring — a coil
  22. race — a contest
  23. wave — of the sea
  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