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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. cap — a hat
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cap — of ice
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. file — a document
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a dance
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ball — a great time
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. race — humankind
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ball — a round shape
  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