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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. race — humankind
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bore — to drill
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bore — to tire
  8. cap — a lid
  9. ball — a great time
  10. race — a contest
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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