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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. 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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — a contest
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. march — music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lie — to recline
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — the month
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. race — humankind
  19. chip — for betting
  20. race — the arms race
  21. march — the month
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. 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