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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. snap — to click
  4. object — to protest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. scale — in music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. firm — a company
  14. foot — a measure
  15. plane — a tool
  16. race — a contest
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. firm — steady
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. race — humankind
  23. firm — decided
  24. plane — in geometry

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