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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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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: nail · foot · cell · lash · race · craft · pit · field

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. field — for sport
  6. cell — a phone
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pit — in a race
  9. race — humankind
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cell — in biology
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. race — a contest
  17. craft — boats
  18. foot — a measure
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. nail — for a hammer

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