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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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. sharp — exactly
  4. mate — to breed
  5. sharp — clever
  6. tube — a container
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. race — a contest
  10. mate — a friend
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. shower — rain
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. track — to keep track
  18. shower — to wash
  19. tube — the underground
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mate — a partner
  24. sharp — with an edge

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