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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rule — a law
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. race — a contest
  14. rule — government
  15. race — humankind
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fall — the season
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — the fish
  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