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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. can — a tin
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. can — to be able to
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. present — a gift
  20. cell — a phone
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cell — in biology

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