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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wake — a trail
  12. race — a contest
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. drill — a practice
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitch — completely
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. drill — army training
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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