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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. race — a contest
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — magic
  15. key — in music
  16. ground — a position
  17. lie — to recline
  18. spell — letters
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mine — for digging
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ground — the earth
  24. game — a kind of play

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