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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. race — a contest
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. race — humankind
  7. rest — a break
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bound — certain
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lie — an untruth

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