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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — the arms race
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. scale — size or range
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bore — to tire
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bore — to drill
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bulb — of a plant

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