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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. race — a contest
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mark — a grade
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. club — a group
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tube — a container
  17. race — humankind
  18. tube — in a tire

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