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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. toast — bread
  3. lie — to recline
  4. race — a contest
  5. current — happening now
  6. club — for dancing
  7. key — for a lock
  8. club — a group
  9. cold — not warm
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cold — an illness
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — in music
  16. current — electric
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. race — humankind
  23. current — of water
  24. club — for golf

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