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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. land — to come down
  3. object — an aim
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. race — the arms race
  8. object — a thing
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. land — ground
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kid — child
  13. saw — the tool
  14. race — humankind
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. land — a country
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. object — to protest
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. race — a contest
  24. kid — to tease

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