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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: safe · deal · lie · field · wind · pop · race · bowl

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pop — soda
  3. deal — to handle
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. field — farmland
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. race — a contest
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pop — music
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wind — moving air
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. race — humankind

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