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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. race — the arms race
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. club — for golf
  7. rest — a break
  8. race — humankind
  9. current — of water
  10. wake — a trail
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. club — for dancing
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rest — what's left
  15. race — a contest
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — electric
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. current — happening now
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. land — to come down

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