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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. kid — child
  13. mark — a trace
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. race — the arms race
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wake — a trail

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