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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. fine — high quality
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fine — all right
  7. plane — a tool
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bank — for money
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hand — in cards
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bound — certain
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. race — humankind

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