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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pop — to visit
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. race — a contest
  9. track — to keep track
  10. charge — a price
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — electricity
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pop — music
  15. kick — in football
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. charge — in control
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. track — a song
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. track — a path
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pop — soda
  24. kick — with a leg

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