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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. drill — army training
  3. cap — of ice
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. race — a contest
  7. lie — to recline
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. race — humankind
  17. cap — a hat
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. race — the arms race
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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