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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. season — in sport
  3. race — a contest
  4. season — of the year
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mark — a grade
  7. race — humankind
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. chest — of your body
  12. can — a tin
  13. snap — to click
  14. can — to be able to
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. chest — a box
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fine — all right
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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