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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ground — a position
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rash — a series
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. race — a contest
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rule — a law
  18. saw — the tool
  19. race — humankind
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rule — government
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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