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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. row — to paddle
  5. race — humankind
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. key — the most important part
  9. perch — the fish
  10. press — to push
  11. race — a contest
  12. key — in music
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. press — newspapers
  16. club — for golf
  17. fork — in a road
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. club — a group
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. race — the arms race
  23. press — a publisher
  24. club — for dancing

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