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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · race · deal · spell · bear · cell

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bear — the animal
  3. race — humankind
  4. cell — in biology
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. deal — to handle
  8. spell — letters
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lie — to recline
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. bear — the animal
  17. race — a contest
  18. deal — a big deal

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