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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. staff — employees
  3. race — the arms race
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. current — electric
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. foot — a measure
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. current — of water
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. current — happening now
  20. race — a contest
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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