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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. mark — a trace
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. tear — from crying
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tear — to rip
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mark — a grade

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