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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. suit — clothes
  2. object — to protest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. lean — thin
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cold — an illness
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cold — not warm
  13. saw — the tool
  14. race — humankind
  15. pound — a weight
  16. object — an aim
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. suit — to fit
  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