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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. lie — to recline
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — of water
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. key — the most important part
  10. current — electric
  11. toast — bread
  12. pass — a permit
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. key — in music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. degree — temperature
  19. key — for a lock
  20. current — happening now
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mate — to breed

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