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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. race — a contest
  3. firm — steady
  4. race — humankind
  5. squash — to crush
  6. saw — the tool
  7. race — the arms race
  8. saw — the tool
  9. toast — bread
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. firm — a company
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. season — of the year
  14. land — a country
  15. snap — to click
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. land — to come down
  18. squash — the sport
  19. firm — decided
  20. land — ground
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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