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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. swing — in golf
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wind — moving air
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. wind — moving air
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. plane — a tool
  14. swing — music
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. race — a contest
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hand — help
  23. swing — to play on
  24. land — a country

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