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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. race — a contest
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fall — the season
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cell — a phone
  17. race — humankind
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. foot — a measure
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. fall — to drop
  24. nail — on a finger

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