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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bear — the animal
  3. scale — in music
  4. spring — of water
  5. race — a contest
  6. spring — the season
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tube — the underground
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rest — a break
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. scale — size or range
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bear — the animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. hide — to keep secret

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