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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rush — hurry
  7. race — a contest
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bowl — a football final

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