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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 124 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. rash — a series
  3. capital — money
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. lie — to recline
  7. race — a contest
  8. season — in sport
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. race — humankind
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. capital — a city
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rash — hasty
  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