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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. race — a contest
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. can — a tin
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spring — a coil
  12. can — to be able to
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. race — the arms race
  16. spring — the season
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. race — humankind
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mug — a cup

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