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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. race — humankind
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. race — a contest
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. hand — help
  16. court — for sport
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hand — in cards
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — clever
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pass — to spend time

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