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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. race — a contest
  5. key — the most important part
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. race — humankind
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. pit — in a race
  20. key — in music
  21. pit — a hole
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wound — an injury

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