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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — finally
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. last — final
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mine — for digging
  10. root — of a word
  11. race — a contest
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. last — to go on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fall — the season
  20. root — the cause
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. race — humankind
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. root — of a plant

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