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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rule — government
  3. mine — for digging
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. charge — a price
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rule — a law
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. staff — employees
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. perch — the fish
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. race — a contest
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. race — the arms race
  20. staff — employees
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. charge — in control

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