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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. current — of water
  6. race — a contest
  7. tear — to rip
  8. ball — a great time
  9. current — electric
  10. foot — a measure
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bore — to tire
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bore — to drill
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. tear — from crying
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rule — a law
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. current — happening now

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