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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. can — a tin
  3. staff — employees
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wound — an injury
  9. staff — employees
  10. can — a tin
  11. key — for a lock
  12. staff — a stick
  13. suit — clothes
  14. race — humankind
  15. can — to be able to
  16. object — a thing
  17. mine — for digging
  18. object — an aim
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. object — to protest
  21. suit — to fit
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. wound — an injury

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