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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: race · tear · track · fall · ruler · stand

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fall — to drop
  3. race — a contest
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. track — a path
  8. race — humankind
  9. stand — to bear
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. track — a song
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. tear — from crying

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