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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. race — a contest
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. band — a ring
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — to bear
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. race — humankind
  21. march — music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rush — hurry

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