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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. shower — rain
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. last — finally
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. band — a music group
  9. board — to get on
  10. last — final
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. band — a ring
  13. shower — to wash
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. hand — in cards
  17. race — humankind
  18. last — to go on
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. board — a committee
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — help
  24. straw — dry grass

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