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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. file — a document
  5. mug — to rob
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fall — the season
  8. race — a contest
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mug — a face
  12. file — a tool
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal

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