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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. race — humankind
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. race — a contest
  7. prune — to trim
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mate — a partner
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mate — to breed
  16. snap — to click
  17. fine — all right
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mate — a friend
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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