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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fine — high quality
  3. race — the arms race
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wake — a trail
  7. race — humankind
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. clip — a video
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. race — a contest
  13. firm — decided
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. firm — a company
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. clip — for paper
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. firm — steady
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lean — thin
  24. clip — to cut

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