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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cold — not warm
  4. mine — for digging
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. race — humankind
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pass — a permit
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. race — a contest
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. ground — the earth
  16. race — the arms race
  17. content — the amount
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. content — happy
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. cold — an illness
  24. ground — a position

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