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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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 — a contest
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. foot — a measure
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. tear — from crying
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. tear — from crying
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. vault — a safe
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. tear — to rip
  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