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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. race — humankind
  3. current — electric
  4. bear — the animal
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wake — a trail
  9. current — happening now
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. race — a contest
  17. current — of water
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bear — the animal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. saw — the tool

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