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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: bay · race · leaves · shower · net · deal · dip · wave

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. race — humankind
  3. shower — rain
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. shower — to wash
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. deal — to handle
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. race — a contest
  23. dip — to sink
  24. leaves — of a tree

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