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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 120 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wound — an injury
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. shower — rain
  9. fine — all right
  10. wound — an injury
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. race — humankind
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. race — a contest
  20. band — a ring
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bowl — a dish

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