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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. race — humankind
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bore — to tire
  4. net — for catching
  5. current — of water
  6. net — after costs
  7. court — of a king
  8. current — happening now
  9. bore — to drill
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. court — of law
  14. current — electric
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. court — for sport
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hand — in cards
  23. race — a contest
  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