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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. spell — magic
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. march — music
  5. lean — thin
  6. race — a contest
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. race — humankind
  11. bass — low music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — the fish
  16. march — the month
  17. tube — a container
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lean — to bend
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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