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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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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. band — a ring
  4. staff — employees
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pit — in a race
  7. kick — in football
  8. staff — employees
  9. march — the month
  10. race — a contest
  11. march — the month
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rest — what's left
  14. race — humankind
  15. row — a line
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. march — music
  19. rest — a break
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. staff — a stick
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. row — to paddle
  24. band — a music group

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