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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rash — a series
  4. present — the time now
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. firm — decided
  7. prune — to trim
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. firm — steady
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rash — hasty
  18. present — a gift
  19. deal — to handle
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wound — an injury
  22. present — there
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. prune — the fruit

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