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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mug — a cup
  9. present — the time now
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. race — a contest
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. race — humankind
  23. mug — a face
  24. straw — dry grass

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