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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — the arms race
  4. degree — temperature
  5. race — a contest
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — for digging
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. race — humankind
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. degree — an amount
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. degree — from a university
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. coach — a trainer

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