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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. ball — a dance
  3. race — a contest
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. spell — a short time
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mug — a face
  11. spell — magic
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hand — help
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ball — a great time
  19. spell — letters
  20. hand — in cards
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. plane — a tool
  24. race — the arms race

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