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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. race — the arms race
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mine — for digging
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. race — a contest
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fine — all right
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fine — high quality
  15. shower — to wash
  16. race — humankind
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spring — of water

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