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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fine — all right
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. current — electric
  10. wound — an injury
  11. current — happening now
  12. race — a contest
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fine — high quality
  18. race — humankind
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pass — a permit
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. current — of water

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