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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. land — to come down
  3. race — humankind
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. court — of a king
  10. roll — a list
  11. court — of law
  12. rush — hurry
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. race — a contest
  16. roll — a cake
  17. drill — a practice
  18. court — for sport
  19. land — a country
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. land — ground
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. drill — army training

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