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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 stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. race — the arms race
  4. field — a subject
  5. current — of water
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. race — a contest
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fall — the season
  11. current — happening now
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. race — humankind
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. current — electric
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. dip — to sink

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