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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. can — a tin
  3. land — to come down
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ground — a position
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ground — the earth
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — a tin
  15. foot — a measure
  16. race — humankind
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. land — ground
  19. ground — crushed
  20. land — a country
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. race — a contest

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