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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rule — government
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pop — music
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pop — soda
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lean — thin
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. rule — a law
  22. bark — to shout
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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