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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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Word bank
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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 · prune · jam · race · mine · present · bowl · can

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — a contest
  6. prune — to trim
  7. present — there
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. present — a gift
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mine — for digging
  14. can — to be able to
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. present — the time now
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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