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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. squash — the sport
  3. clip — a video
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. clip — for paper
  8. drill — the tool
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. race — a contest
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. squash — to crush
  13. clip — to cut
  14. face — to point toward
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — to confront
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. drill — army training
  19. wound — an injury
  20. race — humankind
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitcher — a jug

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