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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. race — humankind
  3. saw — the tool
  4. race — the arms race
  5. squash — the sport
  6. race — a contest
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. plane — a tool
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wake — a trail
  12. saw — the tool
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. kick — in football
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. kick — with a leg

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