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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. drill — a practice
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. firm — a company
  7. row — a line
  8. current — happening now
  9. pop — soda
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. race — the arms race
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. current — electric
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pop — to visit
  18. firm — decided
  19. sharp — clever
  20. current — of water
  21. pop — music
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. drill — army training
  24. firm — steady

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