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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. race — humankind
  3. lean — to bend
  4. tear — from crying
  5. object — an aim
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cue — for pool
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bound — certain
  12. race — a contest
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cue — a signal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. tear — to rip
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cue — a hint
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. tear — from crying
  21. snap — to click
  22. race — the arms race
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bound — obliged

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