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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. spring — of water
  4. race — a contest
  5. rest — what's left
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. track — a song
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. race — the arms race
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. current — happening now
  12. spring — a coil
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. current — of water
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — a path
  18. cell — a phone
  19. foot — a measure
  20. current — electric
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. spring — the season
  24. cell — in biology

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