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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rush — hurry
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kick — in football
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rash — a series
  15. capital — money
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rash — hasty
  24. kick — a thrill

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