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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. current — of water
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rush — hurry
  7. race — the arms race
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bulb — for light
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. current — electric
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pound — a weight
  19. current — happening now
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. race — a contest
  24. pound — to hit hard

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