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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. drill — a practice
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. march — music
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. spell — letters
  13. drill — army training
  14. current — electric
  15. drill — the tool
  16. race — a contest
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. scale — size or range
  22. march — the month
  23. race — the arms race
  24. lash — to lash 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