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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fine — high quality
  3. net — for catching
  4. race — a contest
  5. net — in sport
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fine — all right
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. object — a thing
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. capital — a city
  15. net — after costs
  16. object — an aim
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. object — to protest
  20. mug — a face
  21. capital — money
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. race — humankind

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