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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. race — a contest
  3. fine — high quality
  4. race — humankind
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cold — an illness
  8. shower — rain
  9. race — the arms race
  10. board — a committee
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fine — all right
  13. cold — not warm
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. shower — to wash
  18. board — to get on
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lie — to recline
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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