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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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Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rule — a law
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bore — to drill
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rule — government
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mug — a face
  21. race — a contest
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. race — humankind

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