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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rush — hurry
  6. race — a contest
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. race — humankind
  10. content — the amount
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stand — on your feet

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