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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. race — humankind
  3. rest — what's left
  4. squash — the sport
  5. race — the arms race
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mug — a cup
  10. race — a contest
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mug — a face
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. squash — to crush

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