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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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Word bank
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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. march — music
  7. lie — to recline
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. race — humankind
  11. pitch — completely
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. deal — to handle
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. race — the arms race
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. ruler — for measuring

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