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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 120 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. game — a match
  3. race — a contest
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. race — humankind
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. game — wild animals
  24. tear — from crying

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