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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · race · fork · roll · rush · suit · chair · spell

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. race — humankind
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. suit — in cards
  6. lie — to recline
  7. spell — letters
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. suit — to fit
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. race — a contest
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spell — magic
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. roll — a cake
  24. suit — clothes

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