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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. suit — clothes
  6. firm — steady
  7. race — a contest
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. row — a line
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tube — a container
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. race — humankind
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. snap — to click
  20. suit — to fit
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wound — an injury
  23. race — the arms race
  24. firm — decided

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