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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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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: firm · saw · pass · kick · spring · file · race · net

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. race — the arms race
  3. net — for catching
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. firm — steady
  6. file — a document
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — a permit
  9. spring — a coil
  10. race — a contest
  11. net — in sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. race — humankind
  14. file — a line of people
  15. firm — a company
  16. spring — the season
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. kick — in football
  19. net — after costs
  20. file — a tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. firm — decided
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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