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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. race — a contest
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. race — the arms race
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. race — humankind
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. date — the fruit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lie — to recline

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