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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. race — a contest
  3. bound — certain
  4. race — humankind
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. game — wild animals
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wax — to grow
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. sharp — clever
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bound — tied together
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. season — in sport
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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