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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — the season
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. suit — clothes
  16. race — humankind
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — electricity
  21. race — the arms race
  22. suit — to fit
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wake — a trail

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