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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tear — from crying
  3. race — the arms race
  4. tear — to rip
  5. kid — child
  6. staff — employees
  7. current — happening now
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — electric
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — the season
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. tear — from crying
  20. staff — a stick
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. toast — bread
  23. current — of water
  24. kid — to tease

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