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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. race — a contest
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. race — humankind
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lie — to recline
  12. track — a song
  13. wax — to grow
  14. swing — music
  15. tear — to rip
  16. track — a path
  17. rule — government
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rule — a law
  21. swing — to play on
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wound — an injury
  24. race — the arms race

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