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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. firm — a company
  3. charge — electricity
  4. race — humankind
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. race — the arms race
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chip — to eat
  11. charge — a price
  12. firm — steady
  13. ground — a position
  14. wind — moving air
  15. charge — in control
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ground — crushed
  18. chip — for betting
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. race — a contest
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chip — in a computer
  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