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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kid — to tease
  6. race — humankind
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fall — the season
  10. lean — to bend
  11. season — in sport
  12. race — a contest
  13. lean — thin
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. kid — child
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fall — to drop
  18. foot — a measure
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. season — of the year
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. race — the arms race

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