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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.

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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. swing — in golf
  3. race — a contest
  4. swing — music
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. swing — to play on
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. race — the arms race
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — to handle
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ball — a dance
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. race — humankind
  24. deal — an agreement

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