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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. race — the arms race
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ground — a position
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ground — the earth
  11. can — a tin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. race — humankind
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ground — crushed
  17. court — of a king
  18. race — a contest
  19. chest — a box
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. court — for sport
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rush — hurry

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