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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. race — the arms race
  5. toast — bread
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bat — the animal
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stock — shares
  12. rule — a law
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stock — goods
  16. mate — a friend
  17. staff — employees
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rule — government
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. mate — a partner
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. rule — to rule out

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