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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. race — a contest
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. squash — the sport
  16. foot — a measure
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. race — humankind
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wind — moving air
  22. key — in music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mouse — for a computer

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