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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fine — high quality
  3. shower — rain
  4. race — a contest
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wind — moving air
  10. file — a line of people
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. land — a country
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wind — moving air
  15. land — ground
  16. file — a document
  17. race — humankind
  18. land — to come down
  19. file — a tool
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fine — all right
  23. race — the arms race
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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