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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. bound — tied together
  2. race — the arms race
  3. tear — from crying
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. race — humankind
  12. bound — certain
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rock — music
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. foot — a measure
  23. lie — an untruth
  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