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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: staff · shower · arm · wave · race · trunk · squash · rock

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. staff — a stick
  3. squash — the sport
  4. shower — rain
  5. race — a contest
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. race — humankind
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. staff — employees
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. staff — employees
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. shower — to wash
  22. race — the arms race
  23. squash — to crush
  24. arm — part of the body

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