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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. firm — steady
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. current — of water
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. dip — to sink
  11. firm — decided
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. current — happening now
  15. firm — a company
  16. chair — a leader
  17. branch — a division
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rock — music
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. current — electric

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