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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. shower — rain
  4. race — humankind
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. race — a contest
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ground — crushed
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pit — in a race
  23. ground — a position
  24. pit — a hole

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