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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. current — happening now
  3. shower — rain
  4. mug — a face
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. root — the cause
  8. land — a country
  9. current — electric
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. race — humankind
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. root — of a word
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. root — of a plant
  16. shower — to wash
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. land — ground
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. race — the arms race
  22. land — to come down
  23. race — a contest
  24. current — 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