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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bulb — for light
  9. current — electric
  10. race — humankind
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. race — a contest
  15. current — happening now
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cap — of ice
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — of water
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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