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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 124 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. can — a tin
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pop — to visit
  5. charge — a price
  6. object — to protest
  7. pop — soda
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. object — a thing
  13. race — humankind
  14. pop — music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. object — an aim
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. saw — the tool
  19. club — for golf
  20. can — a tin
  21. club — a group
  22. charge — in control
  23. race — a contest
  24. club — for dancing

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