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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. march — music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. key — the most important part
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mark — a trace
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mark — a grade
  19. key — in music
  20. drill — army training
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. drill — the tool
  24. march — the month

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