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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. track — to keep track
  3. last — finally
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a song
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. band — a music group
  11. race — a contest
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. last — to go on
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. last — final
  20. race — humankind
  21. track — a path
  22. band — a ring
  23. charge — in control
  24. rash — hasty

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