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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. band — a ring
  3. present — there
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pound — a weight
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. band — a music group
  8. lean — thin
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — the time now
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lean — to bend
  16. staff — a stick
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. race — a contest
  22. present — a gift
  23. staff — employees
  24. coach — a trainer

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