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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: date · arm · rock · mate · bay · shower · race · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. shower — rain
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. race — humankind
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — a contest
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. race — the arms race
  19. shower — to wash
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rock — a stone
  22. staff — employees
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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