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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. race — a contest
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chair — a leader
  6. squash — the sport
  7. race — humankind
  8. suit — clothes
  9. fine — high quality
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. suit — in cards
  12. squash — to crush
  13. snap — to click
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fine — all right
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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