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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. sharp — clever
  3. race — a contest
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. race — the arms race
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. key — for a lock
  10. season — in sport
  11. hand — help
  12. race — humankind
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — of the year
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. key — in music
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. game — wild animals
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. game — a match
  24. hand — in cards

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