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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cap — a hat
  3. race — humankind
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cell — in biology
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. race — a contest
  9. foot — a measure
  10. toast — bread
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. cell — a phone
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. race — the arms race
  20. sharp — clever
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cap — of ice
  24. sharp — with an edge

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