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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bear — the animal
  3. race — the arms race
  4. current — happening now
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ground — the earth
  8. race — a contest
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. last — finally
  12. race — humankind
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. current — electric
  17. last — final
  18. ground — a position
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. current — of water
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. last — to go on

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