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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. race — a contest
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lie — to recline
  15. clip — for paper
  16. deal — to handle
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fine — all right
  19. bound — obliged
  20. fine — high quality
  21. clip — to cut
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. clip — a video
  24. temple — a place of worship

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