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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pit — a hole
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. track — a song
  12. row — to paddle
  13. track — to keep track
  14. row — a line
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. track — a path
  17. pit — in a race
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kid — child
  20. lie — to recline
  21. kid — to tease
  22. race — the arms race
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. row — a quarrel

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