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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 124 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. race — humankind
  8. clip — to cut
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rock — a stone
  11. clip — for paper
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. clip — a video
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lie — to recline
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rock — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bowl — a football final

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