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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. present — a gift
  5. race — the arms race
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. face — to point toward
  9. lie — to recline
  10. content — the amount
  11. pit — a hole
  12. content — happy
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. squash — the sport
  16. present — the time now
  17. mark — a grade
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. present — there
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. face — to confront
  22. pit — in a race
  23. face — part of the head
  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