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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. staff — employees
  7. ground — crushed
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. can — to be able to
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. staff — a stick
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ground — a position
  22. tube — a container
  23. staff — employees
  24. lean — thin

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