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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mate — a friend
  7. race — humankind
  8. lean — thin
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lean — to bend
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bass — low music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fan — to cool the air

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