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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: chair · race · lie · dip · rule · straw

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. race — a contest
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rule — a law
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rule — government
  12. race — humankind
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. race — the arms race
  16. chair — a leader
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. chair — a professorship

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