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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: craft · content · mine · race · lie · foot · stick · squash

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. content — happy
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. squash — to crush
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. race — humankind
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — the arms race
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mine — for digging
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. race — a contest
  23. lie — to recline
  24. squash — the sport

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