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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. last — to go on
  3. race — a contest
  4. board — to get on
  5. last — final
  6. kid — to tease
  7. board — a committee
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mug — a face
  10. staff — a stick
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. staff — employees
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fall — the season
  16. mug — to rob
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kid — child
  20. last — finally
  21. race — humankind
  22. staff — employees
  23. mug — a cup
  24. temple — a place of worship

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