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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mate — to breed
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. race — a contest
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tear — to rip
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. season — in sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cold — an illness
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cold — not warm

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