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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rule — a law
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cold — an illness
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rule — government
  13. row — a line
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. key — in music
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. row — a quarrel

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