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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. capital — a city
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. key — the most important part
  6. land — ground
  7. race — humankind
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. land — to come down
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stem — to come from
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. race — a contest
  17. capital — money
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. land — a country
  20. key — in music
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rush — hurry
  24. capital — a big letter

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