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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. race — humankind
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. can — a tin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. race — the arms race
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. can — to be able to
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. season — in sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mate — to breed
  16. race — a contest
  17. court — of a king
  18. lean — to bend
  19. season — of the year
  20. court — for sport
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lean — thin
  23. court — of law
  24. mate — a friend

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