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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. spring — of water
  5. rule — government
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. track — a path
  8. rule — a law
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bound — obliged
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. spring — the season
  13. bound — certain
  14. wound — an injury
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bound — tied together
  22. track — a song
  23. toast — bread
  24. rule — to rule out

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