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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: race · nail · land · arm · hide · pop · key · stand

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. land — a country
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pop — music
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stand — to bear
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. land — to come down
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. race — a contest
  15. land — ground
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. race — humankind
  24. pop — soda

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