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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. race — the arms race
  3. present — the time now
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. march — music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. race — humankind
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. present — a gift
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. march — the month
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fork — in a road
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — there
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. key — in music
  24. race — a contest

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