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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pop — to visit
  4. race — humankind
  5. saw — the tool
  6. roll — a cake
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pop — soda
  10. roll — a list
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — a contest
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. season — of the year
  18. wax — to grow
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. season — in sport
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. saw — the tool
  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