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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: charge · cap · swing · lie · race · shower · bark · safe

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. swing — music
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lie — to recline
  6. race — humankind
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. swing — in golf
  13. shower — rain
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. charge — a price
  16. shower — to wash
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cap — of ice
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cap — a hat
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — to shout

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