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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. race — a contest
  7. rest — a break
  8. mug — a face
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. swing — music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. race — humankind
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. swing — in golf
  16. degree — an amount
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. swing — to play on
  19. degree — temperature
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. degree — from a university
  24. race — the arms race

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