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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. hand — in cards
  3. shower — to wash
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. shower — rain
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. deal — to handle
  14. race — the arms race
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. race — humankind
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lean — thin
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. hand — help
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. lean — to bend

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