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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: object · wind · hand · pop · ruler · bay · stand · race

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. race — humankind
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wind — moving air
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pop — soda
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. race — a contest
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pop — to visit
  18. hand — help
  19. object — to protest
  20. hand — in cards
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pop — 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