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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bank — of a river
  11. tear — from crying
  12. race — a contest
  13. chair — a leader
  14. race — the arms race
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bank — for money
  20. deal — to handle
  21. tear — to rip
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — a big deal

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