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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fall — to drop
  5. saw — the tool
  6. race — humankind
  7. fall — the season
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wind — moving air
  13. saw — the tool
  14. race — the arms race
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. race — a contest
  20. fall — to drop
  21. firm — steady
  22. pit — a hole
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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