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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: shower · suit · lie · wake · leaves · nail · bat · race

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. suit — in cards
  5. shower — to wash
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. shower — rain
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. suit — to fit
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lie — to recline
  20. race — humankind
  21. bat — the animal
  22. race — a contest
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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