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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. charge — in control
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. race — the arms race
  5. firm — decided
  6. charge — a price
  7. mate — a friend
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. race — a contest
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mate — to breed
  12. charge — electricity
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. race — humankind
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mate — a partner
  20. firm — steady
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bat — the animal
  24. firm — a company

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