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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. sharp — clever
  4. race — humankind
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. race — the arms race
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rock — a stone
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mark — a trace
  14. race — a contest
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rest — a break
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rock — music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. game — a match
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rest — what's left

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