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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — a contest
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — the season
  9. firm — steady
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ground — crushed
  12. firm — a company
  13. roll — a list
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ground — a position
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lean — thin
  18. race — humankind
  19. firm — decided
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. race — the arms race
  24. roll — a cake

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