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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: shower · squash · race · arm · can · deal · scale · tube

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. can — a tin
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tube — the underground
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. tube — a container
  9. can — to be able to
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. race — humankind
  13. scale — in music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. race — the arms race
  16. shower — rain
  17. can — a tin
  18. deal — to handle
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. squash — the sport
  21. race — a contest
  22. shower — to wash
  23. deal — an agreement
  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