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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bass — low music
  3. race — a contest
  4. stand — to bear
  5. staff — employees
  6. clip — for paper
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bound — tied together
  11. clip — a video
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. staff — a stick
  15. track — a path
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. clip — to cut
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. suit — in cards
  21. staff — employees
  22. race — the arms race
  23. suit — clothes
  24. track — a song

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