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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. race — a contest
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. track — a path
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lie — to recline
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. squash — to crush
  9. sharp — clever
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tube — the underground
  14. track — a song
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. race — the arms race
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — to keep track
  21. race — humankind
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. squash — the sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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