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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bore — to drill
  3. clip — to cut
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. race — the arms race
  7. staff — employees
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bore — to tire
  12. race — a contest
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. clip — a video
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wound — an injury
  19. staff — a stick
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. staff — employees
  24. wound — an injury

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