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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 116 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wake — a trail
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lean — thin
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pop — soda
  12. race — humankind
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. race — the arms race
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lean — to bend
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pop — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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