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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. object — a thing
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mug — a cup
  6. race — humankind
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. race — a contest
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mug — a face
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bass — low music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. deal — to handle
  23. race — the arms race
  24. straw — a straw man

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