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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rock — music
  6. row — a line
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rock — a stone
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. race — the arms race
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. race — a contest
  21. row — to paddle
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. shower — rain
  24. mark — to pay attention

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