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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bark — to shout
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. tube — a container
  10. spell — a short time
  11. race — humankind
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spell — magic
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spell — letters
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bark — of a tree

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