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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. race — a contest
  3. kick — in football
  4. wake — a trail
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bat — the animal
  9. race — humankind
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rash — a series
  12. bore — to drill
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bore — to tire
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. sharp — exactly

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