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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rest — a break
  3. kick — in football
  4. race — humankind
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. last — final
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — clothes
  11. last — to go on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. game — a match
  15. last — finally
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kick — with a leg

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