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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. current — of water
  3. fine — all right
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. current — happening now
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tear — to rip
  9. board — to get on
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. board — a committee
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fine — high quality
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. swing — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. current — electric

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