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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rash — hasty
  10. race — humankind
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. race — a contest
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. present — the time now
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. tear — from crying
  18. present — a gift
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rest — a break
  23. rash — a series
  24. race — the arms race

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