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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — a contest
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cold — an illness
  11. key — in music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — humankind
  18. chest — of your body
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chest — a box
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lie — to recline

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