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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. shower — rain
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. race — humankind
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. race — the arms race
  17. shower — to wash
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. toast — bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pit — in a race
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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