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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rash — a series
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. march — music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. clip — a video
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. race — a contest
  14. rash — hasty
  15. march — the month
  16. clip — for paper
  17. race — humankind
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. march — the month
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stand — on your feet

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