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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. race — a contest
  8. court — of law
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bore — to tire
  12. race — humankind
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. court — for sport
  16. bore — to drill
  17. court — of a king
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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