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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. race — the arms race
  3. fork — in a road
  4. race — a contest
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. race — humankind
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. lean — thin
  14. kid — to tease
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kid — child
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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