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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: hide · pit · chest · key · kick · bowl · plane · 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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. kick — in football
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. race — a contest
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chest — of your body
  14. key — in music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pit — a hole
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. chest — a box
  23. race — humankind
  24. plane — in geometry

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