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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — to play on
  3. charge — in control
  4. plane — a tool
  5. race — humankind
  6. swing — music
  7. race — the arms race
  8. row — to paddle
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. charge — a price
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. race — a contest
  13. cell — in biology
  14. row — a line
  15. can — a tin
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. can — to be able to
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. swing — in golf
  24. plane — in geometry

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