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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · bore · fan · rule · race · object · scale · firm

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. scale — in music
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. object — to protest
  6. firm — decided
  7. race — a contest
  8. object — a thing
  9. rule — government
  10. clip — a video
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. object — an aim
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rule — a law
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. clip — to cut
  21. race — the arms race
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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