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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: ball · charge · toast · race · tear · mark · mate · lie

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. toast — bread
  5. tear — from crying
  6. race — the arms race
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ball — a great time
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. race — a contest
  13. charge — a price
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. charge — electricity
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mate — a friend
  23. charge — in control
  24. mark — a trace

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