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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. object — an aim
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. march — the month
  5. object — to protest
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. march — the month
  8. current — electric
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. march — music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. current — of water
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. current — happening now
  21. object — a thing
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. race — a contest

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