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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. swing — to play on
  3. hand — in cards
  4. saw — the tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. race — the arms race
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. race — a contest
  15. swing — in golf
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. chair — a leader
  19. hand — help
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. swing — music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lean — thin

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