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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. game — wild animals
  5. row — to paddle
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. game — a match
  12. fine — high quality
  13. race — a contest
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. row — a line
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. sharp — clever
  23. race — humankind
  24. fine — all right

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