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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: pop · key · roll · lie · race · foot · cap · rash

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pop — music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — hasty
  7. race — humankind
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cap — of ice
  12. race — a contest
  13. cap — a hat
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rash — a series
  18. roll — a list
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pop — soda
  22. key — in music
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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