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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cold — an illness
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cold — not warm
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pit — a hole
  14. race — a contest
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. dip — to sink
  23. race — the arms race
  24. racket — for tennis

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