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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. race — humankind
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. race — a contest
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. firm — steady
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. firm — a company
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. firm — decided
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. race — the arms race
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wind — moving air

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