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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wind — moving air
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. race — humankind
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stand — to bear
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cell — in biology

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