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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. firm — decided
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. race — a contest
  5. plane — a tool
  6. firm — steady
  7. dip — to sink
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rule — government
  11. wound — an injury
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rule — a law
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. swing — music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. firm — a company
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. race — humankind
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. race — the arms race
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. swing — to play on

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