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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 124 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. suit — in cards
  3. race — a contest
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. suit — to fit
  8. charge — in control
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bound — certain
  12. charge — electricity
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lean — to bend
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. charge — a price
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lean — thin
  21. tube — a container
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. suit — clothes

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