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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — the arms race
  3. present — a gift
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. race — a contest
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bound — certain
  8. present — there
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. staff — employees
  12. bound — obliged
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. present — the time now
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. race — humankind
  21. wound — an injury
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bound — tied together
  24. plane — a tool

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