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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. hand — in cards
  3. present — the time now
  4. squash — the sport
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. content — happy
  8. lie — to recline
  9. present — a gift
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. squash — to crush
  12. race — humankind
  13. content — the amount
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — hurry
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hand — help
  19. present — there
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. plane — in geometry

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