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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 124 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. lie — to recline
  6. current — happening now
  7. object — to protest
  8. rush — hurry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. drill — a practice
  13. race — a contest
  14. current — of water
  15. object — a thing
  16. drill — army training
  17. race — the arms race
  18. current — electric
  19. drill — the tool
  20. object — an aim
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. season — of the year
  24. race — humankind

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