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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · chest · race · stick · lean · toast

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. race — the arms race
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — thin
  9. race — humankind
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. race — a contest
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. toast — bread

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