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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. race — humankind
  7. cap — a lid
  8. track — to keep track
  9. suit — to fit
  10. tube — a container
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. race — a contest
  14. cap — of ice
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mate — a friend
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mate — a partner
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. tube — the underground
  21. race — the arms race
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cap — a hat

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