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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rash — a series
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rash — hasty
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. race — a contest
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. race — humankind
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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