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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fine — all right
  9. race — humankind
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cold — an illness
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rash — a series
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bear — the animal
  21. drill — army training
  22. race — a contest
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mark — to pay attention

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