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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lean — to bend
  3. race — humankind
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cell — in biology
  8. lean — thin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. race — the arms race
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. land — to come down
  17. net — after costs
  18. deal — to handle
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. land — a country
  23. cell — a phone
  24. race — a contest

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