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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. saw — the tool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spring — the season
  9. race — humankind
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pound — a weight
  12. board — a committee
  13. snap — to click
  14. spring — of water
  15. current — of water
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. current — electric
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. current — happening now
  24. saw — the tool

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