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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. land — to come down
  3. roll — a list
  4. bore — to drill
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. race — a contest
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. land — ground
  13. rush — hurry
  14. prune — to trim
  15. race — humankind
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. land — a country
  20. mug — a face
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mug — to rob

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