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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lean — thin
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. ground — crushed
  13. race — the arms race
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pound — a weight
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ground — a position
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. race — a contest
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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