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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. object — an aim
  3. kick — in football
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. track — a song
  9. tear — to rip
  10. sharp — clever
  11. tear — from crying
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. tear — from crying
  14. race — the arms race
  15. shower — to wash
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. shower — rain
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. track — to keep track

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