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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cold — not warm
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. race — a contest
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cold — an illness
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rash — hasty
  14. can — a tin
  15. fork — in a road
  16. suit — clothes
  17. can — a tin
  18. rash — a series
  19. suit — in cards
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hand — help
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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