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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. object — to protest
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. face — to point toward
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. face — part of the head
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — to confront
  15. saw — the tool
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. saw — the tool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. race — humankind
  24. object — a thing

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