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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 · board · race · rush · key · fall · track · mug

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. race — a contest
  5. rush — hurry
  6. race — the arms race
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mug — a cup
  10. track — a song
  11. mug — a face
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. board — to get on
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fall — the season
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. track — a path
  20. race — humankind
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. nail — on a finger

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