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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. craft — boats
  7. race — the arms race
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pit — in a race
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. race — a contest
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. craft — a skill
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spring — the season
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. pound — a weight
  23. spring — of water
  24. pass — a permit

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