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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. race — the arms race
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. kick — in football
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — low music
  14. net — for catching
  15. race — a contest
  16. last — final
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. dip — to sink
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. net — in sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. net — after costs

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