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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. race — a contest
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ground — the earth
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fall — to drop
  8. race — humankind
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — to handle
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ground — a position
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fall — the season
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tear — to rip
  20. ground — crushed
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pit — in a race
  23. race — the arms race
  24. deal — a big deal

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