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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 so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pass — a permit
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. charge — in control
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ground — the earth
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. race — a contest
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ground — a position
  20. charge — a price
  21. spring — of water
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spring — the season
  24. race — humankind

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