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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ground — the earth
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cap — of ice
  9. race — humankind
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. race — a contest
  12. cap — a lid
  13. band — a ring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bark — to shout
  21. saw — the tool
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ground — a position
  24. band — a music group

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