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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. race — humankind
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. race — the arms race
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fine — all right
  9. mate — a partner
  10. track — a path
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stand — to bear
  24. race — a contest

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