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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bore — to drill
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. hand — help
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. prune — to trim
  10. race — humankind
  11. chest — a box
  12. shower — to wash
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cell — in biology
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. race — a contest
  21. cell — a phone
  22. chest — of your body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chest — of your body

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