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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ground — a position
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bat — the animal
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ground — crushed

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