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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fall — to drop
  6. race — a contest
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bass — low music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fall — the season
  21. saw — the tool
  22. tear — to rip
  23. suit — clothes
  24. race — humankind

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