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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. race — humankind
  5. scale — size or range
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. race — a contest
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. tube — a container
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. race — the arms race
  22. scale — in music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lean — to bend

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