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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. race — a contest
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rest — a break
  8. firm — steady
  9. race — the arms race
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. race — humankind
  13. key — in music
  14. craft — boats
  15. degree — an amount
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. key — for a lock
  18. firm — decided
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. firm — a company
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. degree — temperature

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