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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ground — the earth
  4. land — ground
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ground — a position
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. land — to come down
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rush — hurry
  13. squash — the sport
  14. land — a country
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. race — a contest
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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