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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. present — there
  4. race — a contest
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. saw — the tool
  8. game — wild animals
  9. present — the time now
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. race — humankind
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — clever
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. staff — a stick
  21. present — a gift
  22. game — a match
  23. race — the arms race
  24. saw — the tool

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