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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 120 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: present · content · club · lie · race · mine · shower · lash

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. present — the time now
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. present — there
  6. shower — rain
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. club — for dancing
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. present — a gift
  17. race — a contest
  18. club — a group
  19. race — humankind
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. content — happy
  24. club — for golf

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