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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 always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. race — humankind
  3. cue — a hint
  4. can — to be able to
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lie — to recline
  7. race — a contest
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fall — to drop
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. cue — for pool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fall — the season
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lie — an untruth

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