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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. race — the arms race
  3. saw — the tool
  4. race — humankind
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bass — low music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hand — help
  10. rule — government
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rule — a law
  14. race — a contest
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. swing — to play on

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