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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: race · foot · land · wind · pit · snap · lie · charge

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. charge — in control
  4. wind — moving air
  5. land — ground
  6. snap — to click
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. land — to come down
  9. wind — moving air
  10. charge — a price
  11. land — a country
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. race — humankind
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. charge — electricity
  19. race — a contest
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. race — the arms race
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. lie — an untruth

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