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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fork — in a road
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. firm — a company
  7. suit — in cards
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lean — thin
  11. firm — steady
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. firm — decided
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lean — to bend
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. squash — the sport
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tube — a container
  24. race — the arms race

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