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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. march — music
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — a contest
  12. face — to confront
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bulb — for light
  19. march — the month
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. march — the month
  24. race — humankind

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