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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. race — humankind
  4. can — a tin
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chair — a leader
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — magic
  9. can — a tin
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rash — hasty
  14. race — a contest
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wound — an injury
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spell — letters
  20. wound — an injury
  21. race — the arms race
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rash — a series
  24. lie — an untruth

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