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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stand — to bear
  10. perch — the fish
  11. tube — the underground
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. race — a contest
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lean — thin
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. scale — in music
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rash — a series
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tube — a container

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