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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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Word bank
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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: mug · race · saw · drill · season · fine · dip · object

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. object — to protest
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. race — humankind
  6. mug — a face
  7. drill — army training
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. dip — to sink
  10. object — a thing
  11. mug — a cup
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. saw — the tool
  14. object — an aim
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mug — to rob
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fine — all right
  22. season — in sport
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. season — of the year

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