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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. race — humankind
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pop — music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. race — the arms race
  8. shower — rain
  9. charge — in control
  10. bear — the animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. pop — to visit
  15. row — a line
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bear — the animal
  18. race — a contest
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. charge — a price
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. roll — on a roll

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