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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — the arms race
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bank — for money
  5. chest — of your body
  6. content — the amount
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. chest — of your body
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. race — a contest
  17. bank — for money
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. content — happy
  20. bank — of a river
  21. chest — a box
  22. wound — an injury
  23. race — humankind
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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