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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · staff · cabinet · race · lie · tube

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rest — a break
  3. race — humankind
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. race — a contest
  15. staff — employees
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tube — a container
  18. rest — what's left

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