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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. row — a line
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. club — for dancing
  6. race — a contest
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. race — humankind
  10. stem — to come from
  11. club — for golf
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. suit — in cards
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. suit — to fit
  17. race — the arms race
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. club — a group
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. row — to paddle
  23. suit — clothes
  24. sharp — clever

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