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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. wound — an injury
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kick — in football
  7. kid — child
  8. charge — in control
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. charge — a price
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. can — a tin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. charge — electricity
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. can — a tin

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