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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 120 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. current — happening now
  4. race — a contest
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. current — electric
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. race — humankind
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. field — a subject
  13. current — of water
  14. field — for sport
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. plane — a tool
  17. race — the arms race
  18. field — farmland

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