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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. race — the arms race
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. press — to push
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. press — newspapers
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. object — a thing
  12. race — humankind
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. race — a contest
  15. firm — a company
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. firm — decided
  21. foot — a measure
  22. charge — a price
  23. plane — a tool
  24. press — a publisher

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