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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pop — soda
  6. spell — letters
  7. tear — to rip
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. spell — magic
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pop — music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kick — in football
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lean — thin
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lean — to bend
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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