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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 120 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: mug · race · field · chest · key · plane · suit · nail

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mug — a cup
  3. chest — of your body
  4. suit — clothes
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. field — for sport
  7. mug — a face
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mug — to rob
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. suit — in cards
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. race — humankind
  14. plane — a tool
  15. suit — to fit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. field — farmland
  20. chest — a box
  21. field — a subject
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. race — a contest
  24. key — in music

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