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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. can — a tin
  6. race — humankind
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cue — a hint
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. race — the arms race
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cue — for pool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cue — a signal
  22. race — a contest
  23. spell — magic
  24. can — a tin

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