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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. content — happy
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. content — the amount
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. clip — a video
  17. race — a contest
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stand — to bear
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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