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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. race — humankind
  2. rest — a break
  3. firm — a company
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. land — a country
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. firm — decided
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bound — certain
  15. land — to come down
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — obliged
  18. race — the arms race
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. firm — steady
  21. rest — what's left
  22. land — ground
  23. bound — tied together
  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