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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. fork — in a road
  3. race — humankind
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. race — the arms race
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fall — the season
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. march — music
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. game — a match
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. march — the month
  21. race — a contest
  22. march — the month
  23. mouse — the animal
  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