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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. last — finally
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mug — a face
  9. shower — rain
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. deal — to handle
  12. race — humankind
  13. last — final
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mug — a cup
  17. board — to get on
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. race — a contest
  20. bark — to shout
  21. board — a committee
  22. last — to go on
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. shower — to wash

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