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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rush — hurry
  4. march — music
  5. race — a contest
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. tear — from crying
  8. march — the month
  9. cap — of ice
  10. track — a song
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tear — to rip
  14. saw — the tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cap — a hat
  18. track — a path
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. race — humankind
  22. cap — a lid
  23. march — the month
  24. safe — a strongbox

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