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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wound — an injury
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. race — humankind
  6. current — of water
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — for light
  9. season — of the year
  10. sharp — clever
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bulb — for light
  15. current — happening now
  16. rush — hurry
  17. current — electric
  18. race — a contest
  19. season — in sport
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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