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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. spring — of water
  3. race — humankind
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pass — a permit
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. swing — music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. race — the arms race
  15. spring — a coil
  16. swing — to play on
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kid — child
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. sharp — clever
  24. spring — the season

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