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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. can — to be able to
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fine — high quality
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stock — goods
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. fine — all right
  23. stock — shares
  24. wind — to turn a key

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