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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. race — a contest
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. race — the arms race
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. rest — a break
  9. object — to protest
  10. rest — what's left
  11. race — humankind
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pop — soda
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pop — music
  16. fine — all right
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fine — high quality
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rest — what's left
  22. foot — a measure
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fine — a penalty

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