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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. snap — to click
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stock — goods
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rock — a stone
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mate — a friend
  15. spell — letters
  16. race — a contest
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spell — magic
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rock — music
  23. toast — bread
  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