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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. lie — to recline
  5. prune — to trim
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. race — a contest
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. present — the time now
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. row — a line
  18. present — there
  19. prune — to trim
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. snap — to click
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. present — a gift

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