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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. race — humankind
  4. firm — steady
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. firm — a company
  7. pass — a permit
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. race — the arms race
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ball — a great time
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. firm — decided
  19. race — a contest
  20. ball — a dance
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. saw — the tool
  24. row — to paddle

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