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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. race — the arms race
  3. craft — boats
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. race — a contest
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lean — to bend
  8. shower — rain
  9. craft — a skill
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. tube — the underground
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. firm — a company
  14. tube — a container
  15. race — humankind
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lean — thin
  18. firm — steady
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. firm — decided
  21. date — the fruit
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. tube — in a tire

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