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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. race — humankind
  3. bore — to tire
  4. key — for a lock
  5. land — ground
  6. fall — the season
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. land — a country
  12. fall — to drop
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. race — a contest
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. club — a group
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bore — to drill
  19. land — to come down
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. key — the most important part
  23. race — the arms race
  24. key — in music

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