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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. march — the month
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. race — humankind
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. race — a contest
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wake — a trail
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. march — music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. march — the month

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