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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. spring — of water
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. game — wild animals
  15. race — humankind
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spring — the season
  22. lean — thin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — the arms race

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