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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cell — in biology
  3. race — the arms race
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. row — a line
  13. race — a contest
  14. pass — a permit
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cell — a phone
  17. roll — a list
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cap — a hat
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cap — a lid
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cell — in a prison

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