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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. spell — magic
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bound — tied together
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — a hat
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. hand — help
  14. cap — of ice
  15. race — humankind
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bound — certain
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. race — a contest

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