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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. field — farmland
  3. wind — moving air
  4. charge — in control
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. charge — a price
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. present — there
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mark — a grade
  13. field — a subject
  14. charge — electricity
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. lie — to recline
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wind — moving air
  21. present — the time now
  22. field — for sport
  23. present — a gift
  24. mark — to pay attention

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