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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · present · drill · shower · charge · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. charge — a price
  3. drill — the tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. shower — rain
  6. present — there
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. race — the arms race
  10. shower — to wash
  11. drill — a practice
  12. present — the time now
  13. stem — to come from
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. drill — army training
  16. present — a gift
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity

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