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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cue — for pool
  5. capital — money
  6. lie — to recline
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. foot — a measure
  16. race — humankind
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — a city
  20. cue — a hint
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. file — a document

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