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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. race — humankind
  3. spring — the season
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. race — a contest
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. branch — a division
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. spring — of water
  15. plane — a tool
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ball — a dance
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — to be able to
  21. spring — a coil
  22. can — a tin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. race — the arms race

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