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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. squash — to crush
  3. race — the arms race
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stock — shares
  6. race — a contest
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. race — humankind
  18. stock — goods
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stock — a soup base

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