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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stand — to bear
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. race — a contest
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rush — hurry
  20. race — humankind
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cold — not warm
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. racket — for tennis

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