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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bound — obliged
  10. swing — in golf
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bound — tied together
  14. board — a committee
  15. rule — government
  16. board — to get on
  17. rule — a law
  18. race — a contest
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. swing — to play on
  21. race — humankind
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. swing — music
  24. bound — certain

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