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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. race — humankind
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. race — the arms race
  14. degree — temperature
  15. saw — the tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. degree — an amount
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. snap — to click
  24. degree — from a university

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