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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. last — finally
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — the month
  7. toast — bread
  8. lie — to recline
  9. race — humankind
  10. can — a tin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. race — the arms race
  13. march — the month
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. last — to go on
  16. track — to keep track
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. last — final
  19. march — music
  20. track — a song
  21. foot — a measure
  22. race — a contest
  23. can — to be able to
  24. foot — the bottom

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