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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 124 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rash — hasty
  3. key — for a lock
  4. race — the arms race
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. key — in music
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. board — a committee
  10. tear — from crying
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. race — humankind
  13. rock — music
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. key — the most important part
  19. race — a contest
  20. sharp — clever
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. tear — to rip
  24. board — to get on

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