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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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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fall — to drop
  4. race — humankind
  5. fall — the season
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bound — certain
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. current — electric
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. current — happening now

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