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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fine — all right
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — finally
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. last — final
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fine — high quality
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. race — a contest
  16. can — a tin
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. last — to go on
  19. can — a tin
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. race — humankind
  22. squash — the sport
  23. can — to be able to
  24. squash — to crush

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