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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: can · chip · shower · race · deal · lean · spring · prune

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — of water
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — to eat
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spring — the season
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — to be able to
  13. race — humankind
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lean — thin
  17. shower — rain
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lean — to bend
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. race — the arms race
  23. chip — for betting
  24. shower — to wash

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