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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. can — to be able to
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. kick — in football
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — letters
  13. firm — steady
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. spell — magic
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rush — hurry
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. race — a contest

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