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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. saw — the tool
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stock — goods
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stock — shares
  15. mark — a grade
  16. race — a contest
  17. tube — a container
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bore — to drill

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