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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 120 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spring — the season
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. race — a contest
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. spring — of water
  18. race — humankind
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bore — to tire
  22. spring — a coil
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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