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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: deal · saw · wake · lie · capital · race · bound · firm

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. capital — money
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lie — to recline
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. firm — decided
  9. bound — obliged
  10. firm — a company
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. firm — steady
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bound — certain
  21. deal — to handle
  22. capital — a city
  23. race — a contest
  24. deal — an agreement

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