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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. toast — bread
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. race — humankind
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. race — a contest
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rule — a law
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rule — government
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fall — the season
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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