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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — the arms race
  4. dip — to sink
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wake — a trail
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. race — a contest
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. sharp — clever

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