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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. spell — letters
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spell — magic
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. race — a contest
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bear — the animal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. spell — a short time

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