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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: lie · fall · present · mark · race · key · coach · deal

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. present — a gift
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mark — a trace
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — in music
  8. race — humankind
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fall — to drop
  16. deal — to handle
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. race — a contest
  24. deal — an agreement

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