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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. current — electric
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. current — happening now
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. march — music
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. clip — for paper
  10. plane — a tool
  11. race — a contest
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bear — the animal
  14. clip — to cut
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bear — the animal
  18. march — the month
  19. clip — a video
  20. march — the month
  21. race — the arms race
  22. foot — a measure
  23. current — of water
  24. sharp — clever

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