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

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. 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. mine — an explosive
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lie — to recline
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. race — the arms race
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mine — for digging
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. race — humankind
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. race — a contest
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. saw — the tool
  18. 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