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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. race — the arms race
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pop — soda
  5. prune — to trim
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mark — a grade
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. race — a contest
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pop — music
  24. race — humankind

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