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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. race — a contest
  3. can — to be able to
  4. row — a line
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mate — a friend
  7. object — to protest
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — a thing
  16. race — humankind
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — an aim
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mate — to breed
  23. race — the arms race
  24. can — a tin

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