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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mug — to rob
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. race — the arms race
  7. row — a line
  8. race — a contest
  9. mug — a face
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. season — in sport
  18. mark — a grade
  19. row — to paddle
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. mark — a trace
  24. race — humankind

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