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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rock — a stone
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cold — not warm
  5. mug — to rob
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mug — a face
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. swing — music
  19. rock — music
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. lie — to recline
  22. race — a contest
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mug — a cup

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