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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: stick · hide · rest · ball · present · race

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. race — the arms race
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ball — a great time
  11. present — there
  12. ball — a dance
  13. race — a contest
  14. rest — a break
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — humankind
  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