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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: cap · cell · lie · fork · race · chest

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. chest — of your body
  8. race — humankind
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chest — a box
  11. race — the arms race
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cell — a phone
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid

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