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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 124 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. race — the arms race
  5. drill — army training
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. swing — music
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. race — a contest
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — a path
  14. race — humankind
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. swing — in golf
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. swing — to play on
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. land — a country

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