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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. march — music
  3. firm — decided
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — a phone
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. drill — a practice
  9. land — a country
  10. march — the month
  11. firm — steady
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. land — to come down
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. drill — army training
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. firm — a company
  20. land — ground
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. march — the month
  24. drill — the tool

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