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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mate — to breed
  5. saw — the tool
  6. snap — to click
  7. charge — in control
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mark — a trace
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mate — a partner
  12. row — a line
  13. saw — the tool
  14. race — humankind
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. charge — electricity
  17. row — to paddle
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mate — a friend
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. charge — a price
  23. mark — a grade
  24. tear — from crying

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