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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. race — humankind
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitch — completely
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kid — child
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bank — for money
  14. rest — a break
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fine — all right
  19. race — a contest
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rash — hasty

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