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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. race — humankind
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. race — a contest
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. object — a thing
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rule — government
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rule — a law
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rule — to rule out

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