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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. track — a song
  3. race — humankind
  4. spell — a short time
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fine — all right
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — a contest
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lie — to recline
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. toast — bread
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fine — high quality
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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