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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. spell — a short time
  3. present — there
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. present — a gift
  6. spell — magic
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. object — a thing
  9. court — of law
  10. mark — a grade
  11. object — to protest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. race — a contest
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. court — for sport
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. present — the time now
  21. court — of a king
  22. mark — a trace
  23. object — an aim
  24. spell — letters

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