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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. swing — to play on
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. swing — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. race — humankind
  11. season — of the year
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. race — a contest
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. current — electric
  18. spring — a coil
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. swing — in golf
  21. current — happening now
  22. firm — decided
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. current — of water

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