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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: bulb · race · shower · rock · hand · rest · bowl · mark

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rock — a stone
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mark — a grade
  7. race — humankind
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hand — help
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rock — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. shower — to wash
  18. race — a contest
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. shower — rain
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — to pay attention

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