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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 120 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: dip · chest · lie · present · fork · charge · mine · race

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. race — humankind
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chest — of your body
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. race — a contest
  12. present — a gift
  13. mine — for digging
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lie — to recline
  17. dip — to sink
  18. charge — a price
  19. present — the time now
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fork — in a road
  24. present — there

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