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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — the sport
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pass — a permit
  12. race — the arms race
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. race — a contest
  19. saw — the tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bound — certain
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. game — a match
  24. wound — an injury

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