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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. race — a contest
  3. scale — in music
  4. race — the arms race
  5. key — the most important part
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mark — a trace
  11. clip — a video
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. key — in music
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. clip — to cut
  18. scale — size or range
  19. tube — a container
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. race — humankind
  24. lash — to lash out

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