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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. row — a line
  2. race — humankind
  3. rest — what's left
  4. race — a contest
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. row — to paddle
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mate — a partner
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. race — the arms race
  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