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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: race · dip · drill · hide · lean · lie · game · bear

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. race — a contest
  11. drill — army training
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lean — to bend
  18. race — humankind
  19. game — wild animals
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — a match
  23. lean — thin
  24. bear — to put up with

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