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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. race — humankind
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rule — government
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. race — a contest
  11. pound — a weight
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. race — the arms race
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wind — moving air
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rule — a law

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