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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. root — the cause
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. root — of a plant
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. squash — to crush
  22. root — of a word
  23. race — the arms race
  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