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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rule — government
  5. object — a thing
  6. last — final
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rule — a law
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bore — to tire
  14. object — an aim
  15. last — finally
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — to go on
  18. race — humankind
  19. bore — to drill
  20. lie — to recline
  21. race — a contest
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cell — in biology

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