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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stand — to bear
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rule — government
  10. race — humankind
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. race — the arms race
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. race — a contest
  21. rule — a law
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stand — for spectators

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