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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. race — the arms race
  9. hand — in cards
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. race — a contest
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. charge — a price
  19. firm — steady
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. race — humankind
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. hand — help

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