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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 116 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. deal — to handle
  4. race — humankind
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. tube — the underground
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. suit — in cards
  18. tear — from crying
  19. march — the month
  20. tube — a container
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fall — the season

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