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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 120 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. club — for dancing
  5. chair — a leader
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. race — a contest
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. race — humankind
  12. club — a group
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. club — for golf
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. race — the arms race
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fan — a supporter

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