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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. scale — size or range
  3. cell — in biology
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. scale — in music
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cell — a phone
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. race — a contest
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. race — humankind
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. dip — a sauce

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