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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. race — a contest
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mug — a face
  24. ruler — for measuring

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