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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. object — a thing
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fine — high quality
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. swing — music
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. race — a contest
  13. cold — an illness
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. object — an aim
  18. craft — a skill
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. craft — boats
  21. cold — not warm
  22. swing — to play on
  23. object — to protest
  24. racket — for tennis

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