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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · wound · race · suit · deal · stick · cold · fan

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. wound — an injury
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cold — an illness
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. object — to protest
  10. wound — an injury
  11. race — humankind
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. suit — in cards
  14. deal — to handle
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. object — a thing
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. object — an aim
  21. cold — not warm
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. race — a contest
  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