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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. current — of water
  6. rule — government
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. sharp — clever
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. race — the arms race
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. current — electric
  20. ball — a dance
  21. race — a contest
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rule — a law
  24. current — happening 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