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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rash — a series
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mine — for digging
  5. current — of water
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chest — of your body
  8. race — humankind
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. current — happening now
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. current — electric
  15. plane — a tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. race — a contest
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rash — hasty

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