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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. present — a gift
  3. tube — the underground
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. race — a contest
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. present — the time now
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. present — there
  17. race — the arms race
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tube — a container
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. race — humankind
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. deal — a big deal

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