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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: mark · race · track · shower · face · mine · mug · cue

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mug — a cup
  5. race — humankind
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mark — a trace
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mug — to rob
  10. face — to point toward
  11. race — a contest
  12. face — to confront
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mug — a face
  20. mark — a grade
  21. track — a song
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cue — a signal

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