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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: clip · suit · band · squash · race · deal · stand · nail

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. deal — to handle
  3. race — the arms race
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. clip — to cut
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. band — a music group
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. band — a ring
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. clip — a video
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. race — humankind
  17. suit — clothes
  18. squash — the sport
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stand — to bear
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. clip — for paper
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. squash — the vegetable

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