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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mate — to breed
  3. firm — decided
  4. lie — to recline
  5. race — humankind
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bound — certain
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. suit — to fit
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. firm — steady
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mate — a friend
  17. firm — a company
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cold — not warm
  21. race — a contest
  22. bound — obliged
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mate — a partner

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