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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. plane — a tool
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. charge — a price
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. last — final
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. last — to go on
  24. dip — to sink

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