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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. swing — music
  8. race — the arms race
  9. shower — rain
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. chip — to eat
  13. race — humankind
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. swing — in golf
  16. race — a contest
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. swing — to play on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mine — for digging
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. chip — for betting

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