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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. race — humankind
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. spring — a coil
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. race — the arms race
  12. spring — of water
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. race — a contest
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. spring — the season
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. saw — the tool
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. snap — to click

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