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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. suit — in cards
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ground — a position
  10. rash — hasty
  11. key — in music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ground — the earth
  14. kid — to tease
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rash — a series
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. race — humankind
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. kid — child

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