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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bear — the animal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. spell — a short time
  6. race — the arms race
  7. shower — rain
  8. band — a ring
  9. bear — the animal
  10. squash — the sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. shower — to wash
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spell — magic
  18. squash — to crush
  19. spell — letters
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. band — a music group
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. race — a contest

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