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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fall — to drop
  8. race — humankind
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fine — all right
  14. fall — the season
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. race — a contest
  21. tube — a container
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rule — a law
  24. race — the arms race

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