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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. foot — a measure
  5. shower — rain
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stock — goods
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. plane — a tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stock — shares
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. race — a contest
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bass — the fish
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. race — the arms race
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bass — low music
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. foot — the bottom

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