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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. race — humankind
  3. current — electric
  4. can — to be able to
  5. season — of the year
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. current — of water
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bound — tied together
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bound — obliged
  16. race — the arms race
  17. current — happening now
  18. hand — help
  19. can — a tin
  20. bound — certain
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. race — a contest
  23. rush — hurry
  24. can — a tin

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