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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. spring — of water
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. race — the arms race
  12. spell — letters
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fine — all right
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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