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

Word bank: race · file · march · shower · current · safe · fall · fork

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. march — the month
  3. current — electric
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fork — in a road
  6. current — happening now
  7. march — music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. march — the month
  10. file — a document
  11. current — of water
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fall — to drop
  15. shower — rain
  16. race — the arms race
  17. file — a tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. shower — to wash
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — a contest

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