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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. race — humankind
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. key — in music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. land — a country
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spell — magic
  13. can — a tin
  14. spring — of water
  15. spell — letters
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. race — the arms race
  18. spell — a short time
  19. land — to come down
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. spring — the season
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. key — for a lock
  24. race — a contest

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