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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with 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. snap — to click
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. last — final
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. race — a contest
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. last — to go on
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. last — finally
  22. race — humankind
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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