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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. squash — the sport
  3. chest — of your body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chest — a box
  6. game — a match
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. lie — to recline
  11. club — for dancing
  12. race — humankind
  13. squash — to crush
  14. race — a contest
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. club — for golf
  18. chest — of your body
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. race — the arms race
  22. club — a group
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ball — a dance

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