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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lean — to bend
  3. object — to protest
  4. race — humankind
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rush — hurry
  9. spring — the season
  10. object — an aim
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. race — a contest
  16. spring — of water
  17. clip — a video
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. suit — in cards
  20. lean — thin
  21. race — the arms race
  22. object — a thing
  23. spring — a coil
  24. clip — for paper

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