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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rock — music
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. row — a line
  22. rash — a series
  23. key — the most important part
  24. row — a quarrel

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