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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rest — what's left
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rock — music
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. race — humankind
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rock — a stone
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. race — a contest
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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