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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mug — to rob
  4. race — humankind
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. object — an aim
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. tube — a container
  15. object — a thing
  16. mine — for digging
  17. object — to protest
  18. mug — a cup
  19. kid — child
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mug — a face
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tube — the underground
  24. race — a contest

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