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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. race — humankind
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. face — to confront
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bound — tied together
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. race — a contest
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bound — certain
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. race — the arms race

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