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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bark — to shout
  11. suit — clothes
  12. race — a contest
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cell — in biology
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fall — the season
  24. pit — a hole

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