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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mark — a grade
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. race — humankind
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lean — thin
  12. track — a path
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mine — for digging
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mark — a trace
  17. race — the arms race
  18. track — a song
  19. race — a contest
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lean — to bend
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. chair — a professorship

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