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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. staff — a stick
  5. race — humankind
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — a contest
  14. tear — from crying
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. snap — to click
  22. fine — all right
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. game — a match

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