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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tube — a container
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — a coil
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. can — a tin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. foot — a measure
  17. spring — the season
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. spring — of water
  22. race — a contest
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wake — a trail

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