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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. tear — from crying
  5. race — a contest
  6. tear — to rip
  7. sharp — clever
  8. tear — from crying
  9. race — humankind
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rash — a series
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rash — hasty
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rule — a law
  24. wind — moving air

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