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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. deal — to handle
  3. charge — electricity
  4. sharp — clever
  5. race — a contest
  6. charge — a price
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. saw — the tool
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. saw — the tool
  14. race — the arms race
  15. charge — in control
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tear — from crying

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