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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. scale — in music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. firm — a company
  5. charge — a price
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lie — to recline
  8. scale — size or range
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fall — the season
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. race — a contest
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. charge — in control

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