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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — help
  3. field — a subject
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. field — farmland
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. track — a path
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. race — a contest
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. race — humankind
  15. track — a song
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bore — to drill
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. field — for sport

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