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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. race — the arms race
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wind — moving air
  7. race — a contest
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. season — in sport
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. season — of the year
  15. lie — to recline
  16. swing — music
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. stand — to bear
  19. race — humankind
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. jam — in traffic

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