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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. last — final
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. stock — shares
  8. bore — to tire
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. band — a music group
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — the arms race
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. last — finally
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. last — to go on
  24. stock — goods

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