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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. mine — for digging
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — to protest
  5. can — a tin
  6. race — a contest
  7. object — an aim
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cap — of ice
  12. object — a thing
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. date — the fruit
  20. race — humankind
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cap — a lid
  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