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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. race — humankind
  8. mug — to rob
  9. file — a document
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. file — a tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mug — a face
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mug — a cup
  23. key — the most important part
  24. file — a line of people

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