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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. sharp — clever
  3. spring — of water
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. race — the arms race
  10. press — to push
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. race — a contest
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. spring — the season
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spring — a coil
  24. plane — in geometry

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