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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 120 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — humankind
  5. pit — a hole
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. face — part of the head
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. drill — army training
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wound — an injury
  16. race — a contest
  17. face — to confront
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. race — the arms race
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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