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

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. race — the arms race
  3. ball — a great time
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. race — humankind
  6. band — a ring
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. band — a music group
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. race — a contest
  17. fall — the season
  18. coach — a trainer

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