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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. row — a line
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cap — a hat
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cap — of ice
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mine — for digging
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mine — an explosive

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