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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. race — humankind
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. present — there
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mate — a friend
  12. vault — a safe
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chip — to eat
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — a contest
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mate — to breed

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