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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 116 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mug — a face
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — clever
  6. prune — to trim
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. shower — to wash
  14. tube — a container
  15. stand — to bear
  16. race — a contest
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mug — a cup
  20. shower — rain
  21. race — humankind
  22. mug — to rob
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lean — thin

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