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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. race — humankind
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. shower — rain
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. race — a contest
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mug — to rob
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. shower — to wash
  15. kick — in football
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. roll — a list
  19. race — the arms race
  20. roll — a cake
  21. tube — a container
  22. kid — child
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kid — to tease

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