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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. race — the arms race
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. tube — a container
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. current — happening now
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. race — humankind
  16. prune — to trim
  17. race — a contest
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. current — electric
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pass — a permit
  24. tube — the underground

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