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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. race — humankind
  3. fall — the season
  4. saw — the tool
  5. present — a gift
  6. race — the arms race
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. club — for golf
  12. sharp — clever
  13. present — there
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. club — a group
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. club — for dancing
  23. race — a contest
  24. present — the time 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