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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mate — a friend
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bore — to tire
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. roll — a list
  12. squash — to crush
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bore — to drill
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rest — a break
  18. mate — to breed
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. race — a contest
  22. kick — in football
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rest — what's left

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