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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. face — to confront
  3. race — humankind
  4. chair — a leader
  5. content — the amount
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lie — to recline
  11. content — happy
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. race — a contest
  24. chip — to eat

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