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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. spell — letters
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. spell — magic
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bat — the animal
  20. key — in music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. key — for a lock

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