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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. race — humankind
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. track — a song
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mug — a face
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. race — a contest
  11. pit — a hole
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mug — a cup
  16. dip — to sink
  17. track — to keep track
  18. capital — money
  19. track — a path
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. capital — a city
  23. race — the arms race
  24. capital — a big letter

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