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

Word bank: mine · race · can · firm · spring · cold · rule · deal

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. firm — decided
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. firm — a company
  6. race — a contest
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — of water
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — government
  12. cold — an illness
  13. rule — a law
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. firm — steady
  20. mine — for digging
  21. race — humankind
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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