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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. race — humankind
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bound — obliged
  9. race — the arms race
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bound — tied together
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fine — all right
  17. race — a contest
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tube — a container
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bound — certain
  23. tube — the underground
  24. shower — rain

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