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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ground — a position
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. race — the arms race
  7. present — there
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. field — a subject
  10. race — a contest
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to click
  13. ground — the earth
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. field — farmland
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. present — a gift
  20. field — for sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. present — the time now
  23. lie — to recline
  24. race — humankind

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