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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. firm — a company
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. plane — a tool
  6. firm — steady
  7. cell — in biology
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. club — for golf
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. firm — decided
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. club — a group
  18. cell — a phone
  19. race — the arms race
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. race — a contest
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cell — in a prison

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