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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. root — the cause
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. race — a contest
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kick — in football
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pit — a hole
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. band — a music group
  21. pit — in a race
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. band — a ring
  24. race — the arms race

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