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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. race — humankind
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rest — a break
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spring — a coil
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. race — a contest
  14. spring — the season
  15. sharp — clever
  16. spring — of water
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bass — the fish
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cell — in biology

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