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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. present — there
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. race — the arms race
  6. season — of the year
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mark — a grade
  9. season — in sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. present — the time now
  12. can — a tin
  13. capital — a city
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. shower — rain
  18. present — a gift
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. race — a contest
  21. capital — money
  22. race — humankind
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mark — a trace

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