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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mine — for digging
  6. hand — help
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hand — in cards
  16. race — humankind
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pass — a permit
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. race — a contest
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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