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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. can — a tin
  3. firm — a company
  4. hand — help
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. hand — in cards
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — steady
  10. race — a contest
  11. can — a tin
  12. chest — of your body
  13. firm — decided
  14. root — of a plant
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chest — of your body
  18. race — humankind
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chest — a box
  21. root — the cause
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. root — of a word
  24. can — to be able to

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