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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wound — an injury
  5. band — a music group
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. band — a ring
  17. race — a contest
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. race — humankind
  22. scale — in music
  23. drill — the tool
  24. kick — in football

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