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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. court — for sport
  3. row — to paddle
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kick — in football
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. court — of a king
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rock — music
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rock — a stone
  15. row — a line
  16. cell — in biology
  17. court — of law
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. race — a contest
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. row — a quarrel

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