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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: cell · season · wake · race · ground · shower · suit · calf

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. cell — in biology
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. shower — rain
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. season — of the year
  13. suit — in cards
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. race — a contest
  22. suit — to fit
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. suit — clothes

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