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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. shower — rain
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. shower — to wash
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rock — music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. race — a contest
  11. land — to come down
  12. race — humankind
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. land — ground
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. land — a country
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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