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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. race — humankind
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. race — a contest
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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