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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fork — in a road
  3. object — a thing
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. snap — to click
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. field — farmland
  8. cap — a lid
  9. race — humankind
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. race — a contest
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. object — to protest
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. field — a subject
  17. race — the arms race
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. object — an aim
  20. field — for sport
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fork — to eat with

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