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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 116 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — an aim
  5. mate — a friend
  6. object — to protest
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. race — humankind
  11. hand — in cards
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. race — a contest
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bore — to drill
  21. object — a thing
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. hand — help
  24. mate — to breed

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