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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. land — ground
  7. mine — for digging
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fork — in a road
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. land — a country
  24. roll — a cake

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