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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. key — in music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cap — a hat
  8. race — humankind
  9. key — the most important part
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. file — a tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. race — a contest

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