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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stem — to come from
  3. board — a committee
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pit — a hole
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. present — a gift
  9. band — a ring
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. race — humankind
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pit — in a race
  17. race — the arms race
  18. band — a music group
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. board — to get on
  23. race — a contest
  24. shower — rain

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