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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitch — completely
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. hand — in cards
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fall — the season
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. race — a contest
  21. spring — of water
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hand — help

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