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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. race — the arms race
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. race — a contest
  5. season — of the year
  6. fine — high quality
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. race — humankind
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. file — a document
  14. fine — all right
  15. file — a tool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chest — a box
  19. season — in sport
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bay — a horse colour

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