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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. current — of water
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. current — electric
  9. race — a contest
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. tube — a container
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. race — humankind
  19. current — happening now
  20. swing — music
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. swing — to play on
  24. tube — in a tire

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