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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 116 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. race — a contest
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — magic
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. spell — letters
  7. march — the month
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. tube — the underground
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. lean — thin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. march — the month
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. tube — a container
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spell — a short time
  23. march — music
  24. lean — to bend

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