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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 always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bound — obliged
  5. shower — rain
  6. suit — clothes
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bear — the animal
  9. race — humankind
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. race — a contest
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chest — a box
  20. suit — in cards
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. suit — to fit

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