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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. roll — a list
  3. pit — in a race
  4. spring — the season
  5. pit — a hole
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spring — a coil
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. current — electric
  10. race — a contest
  11. spring — of water
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. race — the arms race
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. current — of water
  19. roll — a cake
  20. branch — a division
  21. current — happening now
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. spell — magic

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