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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. race — the arms race
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. race — humankind
  7. drill — a practice
  8. shower — to wash
  9. race — a contest
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. drill — the tool
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bank — of a river
  20. drill — army training
  21. lean — thin
  22. bank — for money
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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