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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tear — from crying
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tear — from crying
  8. current — of water
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. perch — the fish
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. current — happening now
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pass — a permit
  19. current — electric
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. race — a contest
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. firm — a company
  24. race — the arms race

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