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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: row · deal · fan · firm · race · cold · craft · dip

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. firm — a company
  3. cold — not warm
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. race — humankind
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cold — an illness
  15. craft — boats
  16. race — the arms race
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. firm — steady
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. craft — a skill
  24. firm — decided

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