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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: last · hide · wave · toast · rule · race · lie · straw

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rule — a law
  3. last — finally
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. last — to go on
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lie — to recline
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. race — a contest
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. race — humankind
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. last — final
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. toast — bread
  24. straw — a straw man

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