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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. race — humankind
  3. cap — of ice
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. band — a ring
  8. rash — a series
  9. tear — from crying
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. race — the arms race
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. snap — to click
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. race — a contest
  21. stand — to bear
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rash — hasty
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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