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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fall — to drop
  5. race — a contest
  6. object — to protest
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. race — humankind
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bat — the animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rock — a stone
  21. object — an aim
  22. fall — the season
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rock — music

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