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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cell — a phone
  3. root — the cause
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. root — of a word
  8. race — a contest
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. race — humankind
  15. cell — in biology
  16. root — of a plant
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bank — for money
  22. toast — bread
  23. chest — a box
  24. toast — the most admired

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