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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spring — the season
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bound — certain
  11. saw — the tool
  12. swing — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. hand — help
  16. bound — tied together
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bound — obliged
  24. spring — of water

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