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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. firm — a company
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. race — humankind
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. firm — decided
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tube — a container
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cell — a phone
  23. firm — steady
  24. tube — the underground

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