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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. track — a song
  9. row — to paddle
  10. track — to keep track
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. vault — a safe
  15. race — a contest
  16. current — of water
  17. bulb — for light
  18. row — a line
  19. sharp — clever
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. race — humankind
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — a path

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