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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chest — a box
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. track — a path
  9. saw — the tool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. race — humankind
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — to keep track
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. track — a song
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chest — of your body
  24. race — a contest

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