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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. track — a path
  5. fine — all right
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mine — for digging
  10. game — a match
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. race — humankind
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cell — a phone
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. deal — to handle
  21. track — a song
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fine — a penalty

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