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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. game — a match
  8. hand — in cards
  9. game — wild animals
  10. can — a tin
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. can — to be able to
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. dip — to sink
  18. race — humankind
  19. bore — to tire
  20. can — a tin
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. race — a contest
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. dip — to dunk

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