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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. spring — the season
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — rain
  6. present — the time now
  7. race — the arms race
  8. present — a gift
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spring — of water
  11. rule — government
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lie — to recline
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. present — there
  18. rule — a law
  19. wound — an injury
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. spring — a coil

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