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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. race — a contest
  4. shower — to wash
  5. race — humankind
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rock — a stone
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. shower — rain
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mate — a friend
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rock — music
  24. mate — a partner

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