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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: mark · stem · mug · race · sharp · row · shower · can

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — to come from
  5. shower — rain
  6. mark — a trace
  7. row — a line
  8. race — humankind
  9. mark — a grade
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. can — to be able to
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. race — a contest
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. can — a tin
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. sharp — clever
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mug — to rob
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mug — a cup
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mark — to pay attention

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