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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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. spring — a coil
  6. net — for catching
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. spring — the season
  9. race — a contest
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. dip — to sink
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. net — after costs
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — a series
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — of water
  24. rash — hasty

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