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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. rock — music
  4. charge — a price
  5. spring — a coil
  6. race — a contest
  7. spring — the season
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. lie — to recline
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. rock — a stone
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — an illness
  17. charge — in control
  18. spell — letters
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spring — of water
  23. race — the arms race
  24. fine — high quality

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