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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. saw — the tool
  3. race — the arms race
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. shower — to wash
  6. race — a contest
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. shower — rain
  9. charge — a price
  10. deal — to handle
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. charge — electricity
  13. lie — to recline
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. land — ground
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. dip — to sink
  19. charge — in control
  20. saw — the tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  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