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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. shower — rain
  4. bound — certain
  5. race — a contest
  6. season — in sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pass — a permit
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. content — happy
  16. field — farmland
  17. season — of the year
  18. content — the amount
  19. field — for sport
  20. race — the arms race
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bound — tied together

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