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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pit — in a race
  3. last — final
  4. lie — to recline
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pit — a hole
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rush — hurry
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. race — a contest
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. last — to go on
  24. face — to point toward

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