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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rest — what's left
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rest — a break
  7. race — humankind
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cell — in biology
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cell — a phone
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. race — a contest
  24. rest — what's left

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