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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. can — a tin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. charge — electricity
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. charge — a price
  7. bass — low music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. race — humankind
  11. bass — the fish
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. perch — the fish
  19. charge — in control
  20. race — a contest
  21. can — a tin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. race — the arms race

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