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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. race — the arms race
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bass — low music
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rest — a break
  12. race — humankind
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. race — a contest
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — a container
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. object — an aim

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