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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. race — humankind
  3. last — to go on
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. chest — of your body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. roll — a list
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. last — final
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chest — of your body
  13. game — a match
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fine — all right
  16. last — finally
  17. roll — a cake
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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