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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. race — the arms race
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. last — to go on
  7. squash — the sport
  8. race — humankind
  9. scale — in music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. race — a contest
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. last — final
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. last — finally
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. scale — size or range
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. scale — for weighing

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