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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. race — a contest
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stock — shares
  21. race — humankind
  22. rule — a law
  23. stock — goods
  24. rule — government

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