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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mug — a cup
  5. race — the arms race
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. degree — temperature
  9. key — in music
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mug — a face
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. degree — from a university
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. race — a contest
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spell — magic
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rash — a series
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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