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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. race — humankind
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. land — to come down
  6. saw — the tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. land — a country
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lean — thin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. race — the arms race
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. race — a contest
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — ground
  21. date — the fruit
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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