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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. race — a contest
  4. drill — army training
  5. race — humankind
  6. mark — a trace
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cold — not warm
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cold — an illness
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rock — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. drill — the tool
  21. race — the arms race
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. staff — a stick
  24. nail — for a hammer

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