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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. sharp — clever
  4. race — humankind
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — the season
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spring — of water
  17. kick — in football
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. spring — a coil
  22. race — a contest
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. safe — out of danger

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