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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. key — in music
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. field — for sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. race — humankind
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lean — to bend
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. race — a contest
  16. field — a subject
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lean — thin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stand — to bear
  24. field — farmland

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