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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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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: lean · pound · branch · race · lie · ground · shower · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. shower — rain
  3. race — a contest
  4. lean — to bend
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ground — a position
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. lie — to recline
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. branch — a division
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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