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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. race — a contest
  3. tear — from crying
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stand — to bear
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cold — not warm
  20. race — humankind
  21. tear — to rip
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. tear — from crying

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