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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. spring — the season
  5. race — humankind
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a document
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. race — a contest
  20. toast — bread
  21. spring — of water
  22. file — a tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. deal — a big deal

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