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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fall — the season
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. capital — a city
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. lie — to recline
  16. capital — money
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. race — humankind
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. race — a contest

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