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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — a practice
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stem — to come from
  10. race — a contest
  11. hand — help
  12. drill — army training
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. hand — in cards
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bowl — to roll

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