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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. game — a match
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. capital — money
  8. game — wild animals
  9. track — a path
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. lie — to recline
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. race — the arms race
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lie — an untruth

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