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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lie — to recline
  6. race — a contest
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. foot — a measure
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. toast — bread
  17. race — the arms race
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. race — humankind
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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