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

Word bank: shower · race · season · rush · chest · bowl · fork · bay

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. chest — a box
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fork — in a road
  6. season — of the year
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. race — a contest
  19. season — in sport
  20. shower — rain
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. chest — of your body
  24. race — humankind

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