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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. race — humankind
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. race — the arms race
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — to handle
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wind — moving air
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. race — a contest
  24. deal — an agreement

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